Follow the Tail!
by girlX901
Summary: "Bara clan? What's that?" "It's a clan that was wiped out by Orochimaru. Only three survived, they were the daughters of the head of the clan." "You mean that idiot, the punk, and the...other one?" "O.o'" "That would be them." GarraXOC NejiXOC KakashiXOC
1. Chapter 1

**____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hey, I'm starting FALLOW THE TAIL over again. I will use Mai Leigh, Izumi Noi, and Rima Sonia in most of my Oc stories so yeah HAVE FUN! Now I hope you like it and remember I do not own anything. I know my last try sucked. T_T really I almost cried since it sucked so much! So here's the new try!**

* * *

_Mai Dream:_

_In a village lived a clan. In the village of the clan was a house. On the house was a large rose. The large rose stated to visitors that the head of the clan lived in that house. In the house was a family. A family of human/animals. It was a family of six. They had tails and ears of animals. _

"_Mom look, Noi's walking." squealed a twelve year old girl. Noi being only one year old was already walking. My brother Jemin was a year older than me, and our parents wanted to wait before they had more kids, they were only 18 when they had me and Jemin. Eleven years later out popped Rima and than Noi. _

"_I can see that Mai." said a woman with black hair. She had tiger ears and tail. She was wearing a red kimono with black butterflies._

"_She'll be a fast learner, just like you Mai." said a man with hair like a lions mane. He had lions ears and tail. He was wearing a fishnet shirt and tan pants._

_Jemin turned to me and said to our parents. "She's a fast learner?! Just because she learned how to awaken her inner self doesn't mean anything." I grumbled and he stuck out his tongue. Jemin had what dad called a Liger tail and ears. He said it was a mixture between a lion and a tiger. He was born with a lot of problems, and people in our clan didn't think he'd live. He did though, he's a slow learner. _

"_Okay, okay it's time for bed." said mom. "All of you." she laughed when she saw Jemin and I sneaking away._

* * *

* * *

"_MAI! MAI GET UP! MAI GET UP NOW!!" yelled a voice. I opened my eyes to see my mother. She was sweating and shaking Jemin awake too._

"_Mom, what's going on?" I asked. I saw my two little sisters being carried in by my father. They were both wrapped in blankets._

"_Dad, Mom. Wha-?" asked Jemin as he woke up._

"_We're being attacked, by Orochimaru. Take your sisters and go to the safety hideout. Do not leave the hideout. DO NOT BE SEEN!" said our mother sternly. She helped us out the window and we looked over to see people in our clans fighting._

_Normal ninjas and ninjas with tails were fighting against…monsters._

_Monsters were what they were to me. They showed no mercy to my clan. They killed and the head of them. Was a snake like man. Orochimaru._

"_GO!" yelled our mother. We ran while holding our sisters to the hideout. The hide out was a dark cave with many trees and such blocking it from view. In the cave was a trap door that people would go down. When we got down to the floor level of the hiding place. Jemin handed me Noi and turned lit up a lamp. We looked around to see on the wall the clan symbol. It was a rose. We noticed some crates and some hay for a bed. Jemin took Noi from me and placed her in the hay. She and Rima were both asleep. I placed Rima next to Noi. We grabbed a blanket from a crate and put it over them._

"_Stay here." Jemin said. He than ran for the stairs. When he was at the middle of the stair case I grabbed his shirt._

"_Where are you going? Mom said not to leave." I whispered softly._

"_I'm going to help." _

"_NO! Mom said not to leave."_

"_Well I'm going."_

"_No-JEMIN!" I yelled as he pulled away from me and ran up the stairs. "JEMIN!" I yelled as tears ran down my face. The trapdoor closed behind him._

* * *

Mai's POV:

I woke with a start. Looking around expecting to see the hideout, just to find my bedroom. I sighed and looked at the clock, 6:30 a.m. Well might as well get up and take a shower anyways. I got out of bed and slipped into my slippers. I went to my walk into my bathroom. I quickly undressed and stepped into the bathtub, and pulled the shower curtain closed. Turning on the hot water I relaxed and thought about the dream.

That was about eleven years ago. I was now twenty years old, Noi was eight, and Rima was nine. We were the only survivors from the attack. Jemin's body was never found, but than again not many bodies were. Our father's friend found us. His friends name was Akon. He was a little bit younger than the Hokage. Akon, took us in and taught us. We would travel a lot and the girls would go to schools when they could. For exams I would return to the village and join a random squad. Soon I had finished all of my exams. I went with my sensei to help teach my sisters.

On our way back to Konoha, Akon sensei had a heart attack and died. After burying our precious sensei we continued to Konoha with sorrow. When we got their we moved into a condo. One master bedroom, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and the regular rooms that every condo has. We moved in a week ago and now I was meeting the person I would be working with. Noi and Rima were meeting their new teams, and life was just about working out to be okay.

* * *

I stepped out of the shower and got dressed. After I had slipped my tail out of the hole in my jumper. I grabbed the blow drier and started making my tail and ears fluffy, and my hair dry. Soon my long hair was in two pigtails. After I finished I went into my room and made my bed speedy quick. When I was done I started walking down the hall.

"DAMMIT RIMA! HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO PUT METAL IN THE MICROWAVE!" yelled an angry Noi. I walked into the room to see our kitchen table on it's side and my sisters with pots on their heads. I looked towards the microwave to see a metal pot in it. The microwave was about to blow.

"Duck and cover!" I yelled and somersaulted to my sisters and putting a pot over my head. My ears were pressed down into a uncomfortable situation, but I managed to ignore the uneasy feeling.

"Another pot Rima?" I asked. My second youngest sister just smiled as she looked my way.

"IT'S ABOUT TO BLOW!" yelled Noi.

BOOM!

Soon the pot blew out of the microwave and flew across the kitchen into the living room and out an open window.

BAM! "OW!" yelled a voice. We gulped and ran to the window to see a blonde haired boy rubbing his head as the pot was a few feet away from him. He stared at the pot as if it just fell from the sky. Well it did. Hehe oops. I quickly closed the window and shut the blinds.

"I swear if another thing goes flying from our house people are going to start wearing army helmets just to pass our house." I said to my sisters.

"Oh, please it's not that bad. I think it's funny!" said a cherry Rima. Her panther ears were up and twitching slightly. Her tail was swishing to and fro. Most people thought she was just a black cat, until she changes in front of them.

"THAT'S THE SECOND ONE THIS WEEK! AND WE JUST MOVED HERE!" yelled Noi as she smacked Rima upside the head.

"Ow, Mai she hit me."

"Good!" I said as I hit her over the head as well. "And she smacked you. I hit you." I smirked.

"M-a-i your mean!" said Rima as she drawled my name out. Noi and I sighed and shook our head. Rima may be older than Noi, but she's an idiot. Well we all are idiots, so I guess it doesn't matter.

"Okay, here's what were going to do." I said as I looked at our messed up kitchen. "Rima you start cleaning up the mess on the counters. Izumi you start putting things back in order, and I… will start making cereal."

"Lazy ass." said my sisters in unison.

"Well I didn't put metal in the microwave, and it wasn't my turn to make breakfast. It was yours." I said and started going to the kitchen.

While my sisters started cleaning up I searched around the cupboards for some cereal. After finding some frosted flakes I went to work putting medium amounts of the cereal and placing them in bowls. I grabbed the milk and took them over to the now turned right table.

"FOOD!" yelled Rima as she launched herself in a chair and started to wolf it down. Noi and I stared at her a minute before we started eating like regular people.

After a moment I looked at the clock and noticed it was time to go.

"Alright time to go guy's." I said as I stood up and placed my bowl in the sink. They nodded and did the same. I went into my room and grabbed my weapon pouch and headband. I tied the head band around my waist so the symbol was on the side of my hip. I tied my weapon pouch around my knee right underneath the shorts I wore underneath my jumper. I walked out of my room to see Noi putting her chain and headband around her neck, and Rima putting her headband as a well, headband.

"Ready?" I asked. They nodded and we went off to start our new life's.

* * *

Noi's POV:

"WHERE THE HELL AM I?!" I yelled as I ran all over the village.

"I dunno." said Rima. Really why is she older than me. She's a fuckin retard.

"Okay find a tree and climb." I said. She did a weird salute and climbed up a tree. I jumped in after her and we looked around.

"OH Noi look a window." Rima leaned in as if the window was fricken candy bar.

"Yeah, a window." I sighed and looked at the window. I looked in and saw some girls look as if they were going to kill someone and two boy's kissing. Nothing new their. Wait TWO BOY'S KISSING! I looked more closely and noticed it was a blond and a black haired kissing at a desk. I smiled and took out a camera.

Click! Click! Click!

"This is great!" I grinned and continued snapping pictures.

"Ohh, are they going out Noi?" asked Rima.

"Don't know." I said. I looked at the building and saw that it was the school.

"We're here Rima." I yelled and jumped out of the tree.

"YAY!" she yelled and jumped out of the tree…and landed on her ass.

"I THOUGHT CATS ALWAYS LANDED ON THEIR FEET!" I yelled.

"They do?" she asked looking at me as if I just told her the moon was made of cheese. I did tell her that once. She tried to eat the moon…she landed on her face when she jumped off a building trying to reach the moon.

"UGH! Come on." I yelled and pulled her up. We jumped to the open window that was next to the kissing boy's. A man was talking. He had a scar across his nose.

"HI!" we yelled. All eye's were on us in seconds.

"Uh…hi?" said the teacher.

"Your Iruka right?" Rima asked.

"Yeah."

"The Hokage told us to come here to get our teams. We're-"

"Rima Sonia Bara and Izumi Noi Bara. Yes the Hokage told me you were coming. Well come on in." We nodded and jumped into the room through the window.

I hurried and sat down next to the black haired kid. He was leaning forward and I saw a fan on his back. The last of the Uchiha. Rima sat down in front of me next to some guy's.

"Okay as I was saying you will be put into groups." the teacher said. Soon the people were being put into groups. "Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Chouji Akimichi, Izumi Noi Bara." I looked up to see my teammates. On chubby kid, one blonde girl, one bored looking boy. Hmm, interesting.

Soon Iruka was done and I began to go meet my team.

"WHAT ABOUT ME?!" yelled Rima.

"Your team is already put together, since their one year older and they graduated before you." Rima nodded and left with Iruka.

"BYE ZUMI!" she yelled as she walked out the door.

"BYE SUNNY!" I yelled after her.

"So…" I said as I turned to my team, "hi!"

"Hi!" said the one named Chouji. He was eating a bag of chips.

"Can I have one?" I asked and pointed to his chips. He looked at me and then his chips.

"…Fine." he said and held the bag out. I grinned and grabbed one.

"Thank you." I said after I finished the chip. Mai would come after me with a frying pan if I didn't use my 'manners' when I first met them.

"So we have another pig." grumbled the girl named Ino. Chouji started to get mad and was about to hurt her. I would have let him, but I didn't want him to get in trouble. I put a hand on his arm.

"What do you mean piggy. I'm not a pig, I'm a spring, and he's," I pointed to Chouji. "a butterfly. Oh and he is a deer!" I said as I pointed to Shikamaru I than I pointed to her. "And you're a pig!" I giggled.

"AHH!" she screamed and threw her hands up in the air.

"Well, that could have gone better." I said as she stormed off.

"What a drag." I heard Shikamaru say. He sat down at a desk and started to doze off. I looked at Chouji.

"Does he do that often?" I asked and pointed to him. Chouji nodded yes and started eating some more chips. "The team doesn't seem so bad…I suppose." I turned and looked around. The team actually rocks. A guy I can be lazy with, another guy I can share my food with, and a girl I can pick on and maybe even gain a friendship from her.

* * *

Shikamaru's POV:

When Iruka -sensei started talking he was interrupted by these two girls.

"HI!" they yelled. All eye's were on them in seconds. They were hanging on the window and looking in.

"Uh…hi?" said the Iruka.

"Your Iruka right?" One girl who had black hair and…cat ears?

"Yeah."

"The Hokage told us to come here to get our teams. We're-"

"Rima Sonia Bara and Izumi Noi Bara. Yes the Hokage told me you were coming. Well come on in." They nodded and jumped into the room through the window.

BARA? I thought the clan was completely killed off. Now that I think about it, I heard that there were three survivors and they were the daughters of the head of the clan. I looked over at the one who had cat ears. Her name was Rima I knew that.

She had black hair that was short and went a little above her shoulders. It was tied back with a Konoha head band that went right if front of her cat ears. She wore a shirt that had purple and black stripped shirt that's sleeves hung off her shoulders and kept her shoulders bare. She had on a black short skort that had a weapon back on her hip. She wore what seemed to be black and purple stripped long leggings that went down into her shoes that showed off her toes and heels. Her black cat tail swished to the side. Her eyes were a leaf green and they seemed to sparkle. I noticed on one of her sleeves was a rose: the symbol for the Bara clan.

I than looked at the one named Izumi. She had black messy hair that went a little above her shoulders like her sisters. She wore a black t-shirt with a white skull and cross bones on it. She had on black short shorts and what seemed to be half of a white long skirt on top of the left side of her shorts. She had on the normal black ninja shoes. She didn't wear a normal Konoha headband. Instead she took the metal off of it and put it on a metal chain she wore around her neck. Her eyes were the same green as her sisters except for she had some yellow in them. Instead of a pair of cat ears and a cat tail she had a raccoon tail and ears. When she turned around I noticed that she had a large rose on the back of her shirt. These girls was already interesting.

* * *

**That's the beginning. Believe me the story will get better. Now some info. In the next chapter Mai will meet her team and so will Rima. Mai will be going with Kakashi's team to help teach and Rima will be getting a new team. That's where you come it. I NEED A SENSEI, AND THREE STUDENTS!! Fill this out and PM it to me! Remember PM! **

**Name:**

**Age(If student they can only be 9 or 10):**

**Race:**

**Body:**

**Hair:**

**Eyes:**

**Sensei/student?:**

**Powers:**

**Background story:**


	2. training, FUN!

**Oh woe is me! I finally had a MAJOR part of the chapter done when…my computer crashed. I was about to kill a bitch. Really, so here is my story…AGAIN! Please review know I don't own anything but Mai, Rima, and Noi and some other Ocs. Rima's team OC's were given to me by Kittykat1993! THANKS KITTY! Warning: Kakashi is a bit OOC! I TRIED! So now we shall begin on the note of REVIEW!  
**

**(OH IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT! OH IN THE JUNGLE THE HAPPY JUN-SHUT UP!)**

Rima's POV:

"BOB, BOB, BOBBITY BOB,BOB!" I sang as I skipped through the forest I was supposed to meet my new team. I had Bob, (Whip Cream bottle. My friend named it that and ever since I have to have a dumb idiot in most of my stories with Bob.)with me and we were so excited to meet my new friends. (Yes, she is dumb)

"I wonder how Noi-chan is? Hmm? Or Mai-nee is? I bet Mai's drooling over some hot guy or something." Suddenly out of nowhere a ninja star flew past my jaguar ear and was embedded into a tree. "EEP!" My tail went to attention and my ears leaned back. I turned quickly to see two boys, a girl, and a woman.

The first boy had almost gold hair and bright green eyes. The eyes were almost as green as Mai's but somewhat dimmer. He was tanned skin. He wore a shirt with a really big collar so I could only see his eyes and he wore long black pants. Plus he wore his head protector on his forehead.

The second boy had spiky dark violet hair with blue eyes that had a silver hue to them. He had brown skin and was a bit short. He wore a long sleeved mesh shirt with a black t-shirt over it and red knee high shorts. His head protector was on slung around his neck.

The girl had light brown hair that had bangs in the front and the rest in a long bang in the back. She has pale violet eyes and really pale skin. She wore a crimson t-shirt with a black corset over it that tied up the back with a red ribbon. She had on a black miniskirt with red shorts underneath and her zori(ninja sandals) went up past her knee. Her protector was on her thigh.

The woman had dark orangish colored hair that went past her ears and her eyes were almost a yellow. She wore a black t-shirt with a green vest over it and tan shorts with mesh leggings underneath. Her head protector was on her right arm.

I turned to the boy with spiky hair. "YOU COULD HAVE HURT MY BOB!" I yelled and shook my 'Bob' at him.

"…Are you really a ninja?" he asked me. "'cuz you don't look, or act like one. Kitty."

"Geh!" I jerked. I. Am. A. Jaguar. Not a little animal that gets petted or things thrown at. I am a ferocious beast not a little pet. "Well, who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Ai Yamada." he said and pointed to himself.

"…Ai? As in…love?" I asked. He glared such a heated glare that it could kill. "IT BURNS!" I yelled and held my face.

The girl laughed. She ran up to me and held my hands. "That's what I say when he glares. I'm Hana, Hana Sayuri. Your new teammate."

"Rima Sonia Bara is the name, and this is Bob." I held up a can of whipped cream.

"Hi Bob!" she smiled and waved. She turned to the boy with gold hair. "That's another teammate named Kin Amaru. He's quite." She then turned to the teacher. "And that's Kanna Uzumaru, our teacher."

"HI!" I yelled and waved. Ai kept on glaring. "Oh go declare your love somewhere else…you hippie." I said.

His glare darkened. "I should run, huh?" I asked Hana as I poured some more bob into my mouth. She just nodded. Then I ran away as many kunai and ninja stars flew at me.

**(OH IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT! OH IN THE JUNGLE THE HAPPY JUN-SHUT UP!)**

Mai's POV:

"As for hobbies…um." Sakura said with a blush. Ugh! Really, I'm glad I was nothing like her when I was her age. I just hope my sisters aren't either. Boy crazy, what's worth it? Really, I don't see any point as to why someone should be like, 'oh Sasuke-kun. Sasuke-kun.' I feel kinda bad for the kid.

"Now for you Bara-san." Kakashi turned to me with a weird look in his eyes.

"Hmm. Oh my name is Mai Leigh Bara. I am the head of the Bara clan. I like chocolate, cake, strawberries, nice people, uh, oh and I like books. I dislike people who don't try hard but think they can get anywhere. I dislike people who judge books by the covers, I guess you could say. For the dreams, I want to build my clan back up, and I want my friends and families dreams to come true. As for hobbies I have reading, dancing, sleeping, oh and there's putting microwave fire out." I said with a smile. They all sweat dropped from that.

"Why would you need that?" Sakura asked.

"Idiotic sister." Was my simple reply.

"What kind of animal are you?" Naruto asked.

I smiled. "A red fox." His eyes looked at me with awe. "I think Kakashi-san has something to say now." I turned to him as he explained a few facts on our, 'training' season. I helped explain a few things and passed out the papers. Soon he disappeared in a swirl of wind. I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the side of the building.

"BYE MAI-SENSEI!" Naruto yelled and waved his hand. I turned and waved to the kids. My tail swished side to side as my ears were upright and alert. I sighed and rested my hands on the ledge of the roof. I felt my ears rest against my head fully and looked up again.

One thing I knew for sure was that Kakashi Hatake did not like me. All he did was glare. Which was not a good thing. We need to be able to work together to help the kids. Hmm. I sniffed the air for his scent in the wind. West. I turned and jumped onto another roof and another. I hurried to the scent and then saw him by the memorial rock.

"HEY!" I yelled and waved my hand. As my mother taught me when she was alive. Always get rid of the bad air first and make the air good again.

"Hello Bara-san." He said when I walked up to me. His mask was in it's usual spot and he narrowed his eyes at me.

"Call me Mai. I'm not into the whole last name respect thing." I waved my hand away and my ears twitched. I felt my tail swish with the wind when I looked up at him. "Why don't you like me?"

"…huh?" he asked me with a 'oh shit' face.

"I can tell you don't want to work with me. I do have animal instincts you know. So tell me, Kakashi, why do you not like me?"

"…I honestly don't know what your talking about."

My eyes narrowed and my ears went flat against my head in anger. My tail stopped moving. "I have always taught, and have been taught that if somebody does not want to work with me to find out why and fix it. I want to work this out. So I will ask you again, Kakashi, why do you not like me?"

He stared at me. Finally he decided to speak. "You are new to this village."

"I was born in my clan that is near the village. I was trained in the academy and have been taught for a few years by my sensei before I was forced to leave with my sisters. I have also taken ALL of my tests here to earn where I am now. So I am not NEW." I argued.

"I know the students. I know their old sensei. I know them."

"You don't KNOW them Kakashi. You don't know what they are thinking. You don't know their favorite colors."

"Naruto's is orange."

"THAT'S A GIVEN!" I yelled.

"Sakura's is pink."

"AGAIN, A GIVEN!"

"Sasukes is black."

"…Okay maybe you do. But you do not know them as a friend Kakashi. You only just met them."

"I'll work hard to train those kids to be respectful ninjas, I will make sure you do to." I got close to him. "That is our responsibility, Sir Kakashi." I stepped away. My anger was taking off and I needed to get out of there before I decided to kill him. "Tomorrow, Sir Kakashi." I then left in a swirl of wind and feathers.

**(OH IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT! OH IN THE JUNGLE THE HAPPY JUN-SHUT UP!)**

"DIE! DIE!" I yelled as I threw ninja stars at the wall. "GO DIE IN A FUCKIN HOLE YOU BASTARD!" I yelled and continued to throw sharp items at the wall.

"Who pissed in your cheerios this morning?" I heard a familiar voice behind me. I turned and saw Noi leaning up against the wall watching me. Her tail swished and her ears twitched in amusement.

"An idiot." I growled and turned to throw some more.

"Is it one of your new students?"

"Fellow sensei." I answered bluntly as I continued to throw them. I turned to look at Noi. My ears were so far back it looked like I had no ears. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID! HE SAID THAT I DON'T KNOW THE STUDENTS! LIKE HE DOES EITHER!" I turned and threw the kunai. "DIE!"

The problem is, is that I didn't look where I threw them. I also didn't notice that Rima had come home through the window that was next to the wall. She turned and her can of bob was held up. When I turned to look I saw Rima with her eyes wide and her tail upright. Her ears were straight up and her hair looked like it had been hit by electricity. The kunai I threw hit bob and both had been embedded to the wall. Whip cream squirted out of the hold in it and dripped to the floor.

"Uh, Rima?" I asked gently. She shivered and tears appeared in her eyes.

"You should do as Mai-nee says." Noi replied in a bored tone.

"Nee-san, why do you want me to die?" The tears fell. "And why did you kill BOOOOOOOB!" she yelled and ran into her room.

"…you know it kinda sounded like boob for a minute there." Noi said after a minute. I turned to her.

"Your fixing that." I said and went into the kitchen to make dinner.

"Oi, what are you gonna do about the wall."

"Decoration." I called. I'm to lazy to fix the wall.

**(OH IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT! OH IN THE JUNGLE THE HAPPY JUN-SHUT UP!)**

After dinner I left the girls to go to the bookstore. Ichi Ichi Paradise has FINALLY come out. Jiraya sensei has yet again written a masterpiece. How do I know? He always does. Yes, I am addicted to…porn, as Noi calls it. But, it is not porn. It is great writing, people just need to realize that.

I walk into the bookstore and walk over to the adult section. I turn to the shelves and look for the cover in Jirayas section. The shelf went into another shelf behind it. I turned and bumped into someone. I was about to fall when someone caught me and pulled me back up.

Kakashi's POV:

"She's new to Konoha and doesn't even have the same level as me? Are you sure this is a good decision, Hokage-sama?" I asked to elderly man.

"Kakashi, I understand your worries but Mai is a very accomplished ninja. Yes, she is not on anbu level but she is still well in fighting. She would never turn her back on a teammate, so why are you so worried?"

I sighed and sat down in a chair that was across from him. "She has been traveling all this time. She doesn't really know people in this village and I do. I don't think that teaming me up with somebody as clueless as she may be is a wise decision. If you must team me up with someone team me up with Genma, that could work. Or don't pair me up with anybody at all."

Suddenly the old man got a knowing smirk on his face. "This isn't about Mai is it? It's about me assigning you a teaching partner."

I looked down. No I did not want to work with Mai. I don't really want to teach with anybody, just teach. I don't know Mai therefore I cant not like her, she made assumptions and I felt a bit bad after she left. Maybe…a bit. Either way I just wanted to teach by myself. "I think teaching by myself would be easier."

"…no, I think that Mai and you both will learn something from this experience so…have fun tomorrow."

I sighed and left. No use fighting with the old man. (UGH, he's so ooc.)

I turned and went towards the bookstore. Ichi Ichi Paradise came out today and I wanted to read it. I got to the bookstore and started to look around. I got my book after reading a bit I was about to walk away and get it checked out when I bumped into someone. The someone was about to fall when my arm reached out on instinct and grabbed their wrist. I made sure they didn't fall and looked down at them. Mai.

She wore her usual outfit and looked just the way she was before she left. Her brownish red hair had bangs in the front and were pulled into two pigtails behind her fox ears. They went all the way down to her mid-thighs. Her bright emerald green eyes were big and ringed with a bit of black eyeliner and mascara. She wore a white jumper with a long t-shirt underneath that was showed her shoulders. Her tail behind her swished to the side at random moments. She wore black zori (ninja sandals) that went up to her knees. And mesh leggings. Her protector was tied on her waist so it that the symbol pointed to her side.

"Miss Mai," I said with a smirk. "are you following me?"

She looked up at me gaping. "Kakashi, I heard her murmur. Her ears twitched and her tail instantly wrapped around her leg and then unwrapped itself and started to sway again. "I should say the same to you Sir Kakashi, especially since I was not stalking you."

"Oh really?"

She turned to glare. "Yes, really. I'm here for a book." she turned and looked at the book in my hand. Here we go. Now she's going to go on about how that is a bad book to read and all this and all that. "…That one to be precise." What?

"What one?" I asked wondering if she was talking about another one.

"The one in your hands. Ichi Ichi Paradise. It just came out today, I wanted to read it tonight." she said. Then looked up at me. "Where'd you find it?" She asked with a grin. I pointed towards the books she smiled more and grabbed the book.

"Thanks, see ya tomorrow. Sir Kakashi!" she then skipped off towards the cashier. Her tail swished side to side as she did.

**(OH IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT! OH IN THE JUNGLE THE HAPPY JUN-SHUT UP!)**

The next day Noi's POV:

I sighed as I sat next to Shikamaru on the grass. He was laying down and sleeping. When he got there he just looked at us, muttered 'troublesome' and laid on the grass. I sat next to him and pulled my legs up next to my body and rested my head on them. Choji was eating and Ino was looking at her nails. I have to agree with Shikamaru. This is troublesome.

"Hey!" we heard a familiar voice. We turned to our sensei.

"Sup." I nodded my head and put my head back on my legs. He chuckled as Ino and Choji just waved. Shikamaru didn't even look just waved a lazy hand.

"So are you ready for the training?" Asuma asked.

"…Are you ready for the training?" I asked back. I smirked. "'Cuz I have a feeling that I and they," I nodded to the others. "are gonna kick your ass."

He smiled then hit my head, right between the ears. "Language." GRR! I felt a goose bump grown. Honestly even yesterday when I swore he hit me.

_Flashback:_

_Asuma blew cigarette smoke in our faces. All of us coughed and tears pricked our eyes._

"_What? Crying already?" he asked._

"_No." cough. "It's the smoke." cough. Shikamaru coughed._

"_Fuckin' smoke somewhere else." cough. "Fuck!" I coughed. It was supersensitive to my nose. Animal, duh._

_BAM! BAM! His fist hit the top of my head._

"_FUCK!" I yelled and held my head._

_BAM! He hit me again! I looked up at him._

"_WHAT THE HE-!" Shikamaru cut me off by putting a hand in front of my face._

_Asuma looked at me with smirk. "Language." _

_Huh?_

End of flashback:

I glared at him and held my head. He smiled then turned to the rest of the group. "Now then, you will be catching three bells." he held them up. He started to explain more. I sighed and waited for him to blow the whistle. As he did, I disappeared. I kneeled on a branch of a tree that was near the top. To a normal ninja, looking down I they wouldn't be able to see Asumas face without binoculars. I on the other hand saw it clearly. Being a raccoon rocks. I watched him smirk and walk around.

"So it begins." I murmured with a smirk.

**(OH IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT! OH IN THE JUNGLE THE HAPPY JUN-SHUT UP!)**

Rima's POV:

"Sensei, do we have to train? Why don't we just do something else?" I asked with a whine.

"Like what?" Kin asked.

"We can have a party." Hana said with a smile.

"Yeah, but Ai wants an orgy." I said with a grin. I poured whipped cream into my mouth. "He wants to love everyone." Suddenly a kunai came flying and hit bob. Whipped cream oozed out of the hole it created. I turned to Ai. "YOU'RE A MONSTER!" I yelled and cradled the demolished bob.

Suddenly there was a clap of hands and our sensei stood in front of us. She smiled. "Okay time for our training." Why is it I got a bad feeling? Oh look a shiny thing!

"SHINY!" I shouted. It jingled. "A BELL!" I shouted again.

"UGH! This is gonna be a looong day." Ai grumbled.

**(OH IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT! OH IN THE JUNGLE THE HAPPY JUN-SHUT UP!)**

Mai's POV:

I grinned as Kakashi blew the whistle. As the kids disappeared, I did as well. "Later Sir Kakashi." I whispered for only him to hear. I then ran towards a bush. I hid underneath it and made sure that the kids nor Kakashi could see me.

"Transform." I thought to myself and felt myself morph. I felt my body grow shorter and my hands turn to claws. I felt fur cover my body and knew I was transformed. Good thing about our transformation is that we keep our clothes on, they just disappear and reappear through our transformation. I was full fox now and ready for a fun time. (Not like that you pervs!) I then looked at Kakashi expecting him to still stand there looking for the kids. That's when I saw what amazed me. I sniffed the air and turned my head to see Sakura hiding under a bush. I sniffed again and looked up to see Sasuke in a tree. Then I just turned to Kakashi. I didn't need to sniff to know where Naruto was.

Naruto had his arms folded and looked at Kakashi with a look of…pride? "COME HERE AND FIGHT ME! I SAID FIGHT ME!" Naruto yelled. I sweat dropped as Kakashi scratched behind his head.

"Um…you're a little off." Kakashi said and I nodded my head. It's true the little fish stick was off. A ninja is to hide, not go right in front of the enemy and be all, 'Fight me.' That would be bad.

MAI'S MIND DREAM:

There in the center of a field stood an evil looking ninja. He was dressed in all black. Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, and I hid in trees as Naruto hid in a bush. The ninja chuckled.

"Come out come out wherever you are."

'Like that'll work." I whispered to myself.

"FIGHT ME!" yelled Naruto as he ran out to the field.

'IDIOT!' I whispered harshly.

"DO YOU HAVE BOB!" yelled Rima and she too ran out.

'A BIGGER IDIOT!' I whispered again. Let's just say that they didn't last long.

End Mai's mind dream:

I shuddered yeah, let's hope that doesn't happen.

"THE ONLY THING THAT'S OFF IS YOUR HAIR CUT!" Naruto yelled and ran at him.

'OUCH!" I thought. Kakashi reached into his side pouch. I narrowed my eyes and Naruto stopped.

"Shinobi lesson number one: taijutsu. I'll teach you about it."

I tilted my head to the side. 'Taijutsu is hand to hand combat. What the hell is he reaching into his pouch for?'

Kakashi then pulled out…A BOOK? Ichi Ichi Paradise.

"What's wrong, hurry up and attack me." Kakashi said calmly.

"But…what's with the book." Naruto asked.

"I just want to know what happens next, but don't worry that won't make any difference against you guys."

'NICE IDEA!' I nodded my head. 'And I haven't even started.' I then put my head down on my paws. 'aww.' I whined quietly enough for nobody to hear.

"Oh, I get it. Mai-sensei will attack." Naruto guessed.

"Nope."

"So, basically your saying that you can beat me and read a book at the same time." Naruto guessed.

"Yep."

'That would piss me off too.' I thought to myself. As Naruto snapped.

"I'M TOTALLY GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!" he yelled and ran towards him. As Naruto tried to land a hit, Kakashi blocked, or he dodged. Finally when he landed a punch the figure of Kakashi turned to dust.

"Huh?"

"'A shinobi isn't supposed to be caught from behind.'" Kakashi said and I thought at the same time. I heard Sakura and Sasuke talking to themselves and ignored and paid attention to Kakashi.

'The tiger seal?'

"NARUTO RUN AWAY! YOUR GONNA GET KILLED!" Sakura stood and yelled. Bad choice hun, that gave away your position totally. Besides, we can't kill our students…yet.

"To late." Kakashi said. Suddenly Kakashi got a shine to his eye and brought his hand forward. "HIDDEN LEAF TAIJUTSU SUPREME TECHNIQUE: 1000 YEARS OF PAIN!" And Naruto was poked in the ass. He went flying in pain.

'Ah, memories.' I sighed.

_FLASHBACK:_

_I hid beneath the brush as Jemin hid in the trees. Finally I noticed Sensei walking about and I pounced. I wasn't in fox form, I was just a regular human with ears and a tail. He saw me coming and when I landed the hit he turned to dust._

"_A shin obi isn't supposed to be caught from behind." I heard him say behind me._

"_RUN MAI!" Jemin yelled._

"HIDDEN LEAF TAIJUTSU SUPREME TECHNIQUE: 1000 YEARS OF PAIN!" sensei yelled before I could comprehend and poked my…well, my ass. I went flying as pain hit me. It hurt worse than a spank.

"OWIEE!" I yelled as I flew. Damn that hurt. From that day forward I knew: Don't let a ninja behind you.

End of Flashback:

I continued to watch them fight and when Naruto went into the water. I watched two Narutos sneak out. They snuck by me. I caught one and immediately destroyed it and let the other one go. I wanted to see what Naruto's plan was. Shockingly, he had a plan. He made a bunch of clones and had the other Naruto sneak behind Kakashi.

Then he jumped in the air and yelled. "MY ASS STILL HURTS! HERE'S PAYBACK!"

'His ass still hurts?" My fox face gave a goofy grin under the bush I was under. 'Kakashi we aren't supposed to be doing such things to our students.' I gave a fox laugh. Finally deciding to help I quickly ran and grabbed hold of a clone in my mouth and jumped up I then grabbed Kakashi by a paw and switched. I threw Kakashi towards a tree and ran into the bushes again. Nobody saw me, 'cuz I'm just that good. I watched Naruto beat the crap out of himself and sighed. Time to set up those traps.

**(OH IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT! OH IN THE JUNGLE THE HAPPY JUN-SHUT UP!)**

Later that night:

I hummed as I sat at the kitchen table drinking hot chocolate. I waited for Noi and Rima to come home. I chuckled darkly remembering Naruto's face when he repeatedly got caught in my traps. Or when me and Kakashi worked together to make Sakura believe Sasuke was dead. That was good. Then pulling Sasuke through a hole in the ground and then, putting a bucket over his head. (She just put a pumpkin on top of the bucket and made it look like Sasukes head, just for Sakura. :D) Man, I had fun playing with them.

"Good thing they passed." I said and grabbed a newspaper. "Or I'd go back to just going on missions." I sighed and looked on the clock. "Now I hope those other two passed, I don't feel like having to spend another year in the principals office for them destroying another class room."

I then glared at my reflection. 'Now, I'm talking to myself.' I turned to the picture of my parents and Jemin. 'I must get it from you Mom.'

Suddenly the front door opened and I heard feet coming up the stairs. Though it didn't sound like just feet, hands were in the mixture too. Along with groans of pain. Then when the person got to the top she flopped to the ground with a groan of pain.

"How was training, Noi?" I asked.

"HMM FUMPH HMMHMMPH!" I heard her mutter into the wooden floor.

"Didn't catch that."

She turned the head. "I said, go fuck yourself." I picked up an apple and chucked it at her head.

"Language."

"NOT YOU TOO!" I looked at her head. She had several bumps on it.

"How much have you sworn today?" I asked with a smirk.

"I'm going to bed." she growled and crawled towards her room.

"Did you pass?" I called after her.

"Yeah." she called back. I heard the doors open and close. Then the bath water running.

I chuckled and shook my head. "Now, where's the idiot?" I shrugged and went to the balcony. The light from inside the house lit it up and I sat in a chair. I pulled out my Ichi Ichi Paradise book and got to work. I was far into the fifth chapter when I sensed somebody. For five straight minutes I continued to read and let my senses follow the person. Finally I decided to let the person know I knew they were there.

"You can come out now." I called. "I know your there, no use just sitting doing nothing."

I heard two feet land on the balcony's edge. "I figured you knew I was there." Kakashi said. I looked up from my book.

"What do you want Sir Kakashi?" my tail ears twitched as a wind blew by. My hair lifted a bit and then rested. Kakashi's hair seemed to curve, but went back to it's spiky self. I caught his scent. Pinewood with a bit of spice. I went back to my book.

"I just wanted to say good work today."

"Mm-hmm." I muttered as I flipped the page.

"I guess working with you wont be so hard."

"I'm sure I can survive working with you as well."

"…thanks for watching my back."

"I always will, Sir Kakashi." I looked up at him and smiled. "It's what I do for any of my friends and allies." He smirked through the mask.

"Same here."

"Until tomorrow, Sir Kakashi." I said with a smile.

"Until tomorrow, Lady Mai." he then disappeared. I glared at his bare spot.

"HEY THAT'S MY THING!"

**(OH IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT! OH IN THE JUNGLE THE HAPPY JUN-SHUT UP!)**

Third person POV: Random training ground:

Rima and her team passed too! But there was one problem. You see, Rima was the one who was tied to a stump. Also, they forgot to untie her. Unlike Naruto who was.

"HEY! HEY SOMEONE HELP ME! HEY IS ANYONE THERE? BOB? HEY!" she yelled at the night sky. Oh, poor, poor idiot.

**(OH IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT! OH IN THE JUNGLE THE HAPPY JUN-SHUT UP!)**

**And I am done! YAY! So I got my braces off and I got a new puppy. So again YAY! I'm doing pretty good right now. Anyways just want people to know I'm trying to make this better and I hope I succeed also I'm looking for a beta reader. I would go look around but it's hard for me to find one I can trust. So if you can please recommend someone. Thanks and please review so I can have some support. Thankies.**


	3. Mai's mission, Heshe and Momo

**HIYA! It's GIRLX901! Here's my next chapter for Follow the Tail! YAY! Well, I want people to know I only own Rima, Noi, and Mai. As I said in my last chapter Kittykat1993 owns Rimas team. I hope you all like it and please review.**

"" talk

'' think

**(When will my reflection show, who I am inside? When will my reflection show, who I am inside?)**

Mai's POV:

"Mai-sensei, why do we have to look for the target when you can just tell us where it is?" Naruto whined from the earpiece in my fox ear. "I mean you can just find it's scent and tell us the area."

"Naruto, I'm supposed to be teaching you how to track without an animal. To be a ninja you need to be able to do this." I replied lazily into the mouthpiece.

"URGH!" I heard him yell from below me. I looked down from my branch at the top of the tree and saw him stomping his feet.

"Also Naruto, animals have distinct hearing. The target could easily hear that and scatter."

"Dumbass." I heard Sakura and Sasuke through the earpiece. I chuckled quietly.

"Oh, hey I found the target!" Naruto's voice sounded through.

"Same here." Sakura voice sounded through.

"hn." Sasuke acknowledged.

"What's the distance of the target?" Kakashi's voice sounded through.

"Five meters, I'm ready any time!" Naruto exclaimed quietly.

"So am I." Sasuke said.

"Same here!" Saukra sounded through.

"ok," Kakashi said.

"GO!" Both Kakashi and I said at the same time.

I heard below me Narutos 'URA!' and looked down. There Naruto was on top of the 'target' and was trying to hold it down. I sighed and stood up from my branch. I then jumped to another tree and then another until I reached Kakashi's location.

"Got it sensei's." Sasuke sounded through. I jumped off the branch and landed next to Kakashi. He continued to talk to the kids.

"Ribbon on left ear?"

"hn."

"Are you sure this is the target Taro?"

"Yeah, we're sure."

"Good, lost pet "Taro" search mission…complete!" I said into the earpiece. "Now lets head back!"

I felt bad for the cat. I now realize why it she ran away. Poor thing. "OHH! My sweet little Taro-chan I was so worried." yelled the overweight lady as she squeezed to poor thing to death. Finally she left.

"Hokage-same aren't we supposed to protect all things in Konoha…doesn't that include animals?" I asked looking at the door the lady just left through.

"Now Mai we can't just arrest someone for over loving someone. I didn't arrest you for stalking that boy when you were five."

Kakashi and the kids looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I turned my head to the side. "…Fine."

"Now, Kakashi's and Mai's team number seven your next duty is…hmmm…babysitting an elder's grandson, shopping in a neighboring village, and helping with potato digging." 'Ugh.'

"NO! NO! NO! No thank you! I want to do, you know, a more incredible mission! Find us a better one."

I turned to him and hid my smirk. Even though I was smirking, did not mean that I wouldn't get in trouble for his outburst. 'uh…'

"YOU IDIOT! YOUR JUST A ROOKIE! EVERYONE STARTS OFF WITH SIMPLE DUTIES AND WORKS THEIR WAY UP!"

"But…But…We keep getting the crappiest possible duties."

"Be quiet you." Kakashi said and hit him on top of his head while I hit him across the head and said.

"Shut it."

"Naruto, it seems I have to explain to you what these duties are all about." Naruto sighed and sat down. I sat down next to him and waited for the old man to give me one of those 'in my day' speeches.

"Listen, everyday the village receives numerous requests, from babysitting, to assassination. Each request is written down on these lists, and divided into an A. B. C. D ranking based on difficulty. The village is also divided on based on skill. Starting with me to jounin, chunin, and then genins. The missions are then handed out by us top to ninjas based on their abilities, and if the duty is completed successfully we receive payment from the client. You guys just recently became genin, D-ran missions are perfect for you."

"Last night I had pork ramen, so miso sounds good for tonight." Naruto and I got bored and started talking about what we were having for dinner. Before the conversation was about cats.

"Yeah, I'm just eating out. My sisters are out on missions."

"HEY! LISTEN!"

"S-sorry about my student and fellow sensei." Kakashi apologized and scratched the back of his head.

"GEEZ! All you do is give lectures like that!" Naruto yelled. "BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT THE TROUBLE MAKING BRAT YOU STILL THINK I AM!"

"YEAH!" I yelled and brought my fist forward. "…I mean…" I started when all eyes were on me. "SHUT NARUTO!"

The hokage smirked. "Okay." I looked up interested. "I'll give you a c-rank mission. It's a protection mission for a certain individual."

"YES!" I stood up and pumped a fist. Kakashi's shoulders slumped foreword. Sucker.

"YAY!" Naruto grinned. "Who? Who? A Fuedal lord? A princess?"

"Calm down, I'm about to introduce him. He called to a door. "Hey will you come in here?"

We turned to the door as it opened and a drunk walked in. Well at least that's what I call him. He was holding a beer bottle. He had glasses and was a bit old.

"What's this?" He took a swig of beer. "They're all just a bunch of super brats." He leaned against the door. "Especially the shortest one with the super stupid-looking face. Hey, are you really a ninja." I looked down at Naruto as he looked at both Sakura and Sasuke excitedly.

"HAHA! Who's the shortest with the stupid face…"

"Um…that would be you, Naruto." I said. He stopped looking and then looked at the guy for a moment with a 'what' face.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" He yelled and started going for the guy. Kakashi and I grabbed hold of his shirt and I sighed.

"What's the point of killing someone we're supposed to protect?" Kakashi asked. As I sighed and shook my head.

"Idiot."

"And that animal/human hybrid, what happens if she goes in heat?"

'…excuse me?' I stopped pulling on Narutos shirt and turned to the man. "I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I DON'T GO INTO HEAT FOR ANOTHER TWO WEEKS! I-" I stopped yelling as I heard a few chuckles behind me and realized what I said.

"Another few weeks…Lady Mai?" Kakashi chuckled beside me. I glared at the old man and turned to the Hokage.

"Sir, I find this man a threat. Permission to obliterate." He just shook his head. Dammit.

"Well I guess they will do."

"Selfish bastard." I grumbled.

"I am super expert bridge builder Tazuna. I expect you to provide me super protection until I get back to my country and complete the bridge."

"Well, I hope you have fun." Hokage said. I sighed.

"Let's go shall we. We'll meet at the gates in ten minutes. Go home and get what you'll need for this mission. Remember ten minutes, Sir Kakashi." I then did a hand sign and disappeared in wind and feathers.

**(When will my reflection show, who I am inside? When will my reflection show, who I am inside?)**

"LET'S GO!" Naruto yelled as he returned with his belongings at the gate. Everyone else was already there.

"What are you so excited about?" Sakura and I asked at the same time.

"Cause I never left the village before."

"Not that special." I said as I stood up from the ground. "I've been to many villages and such. It's really not that big of a deal."

"…Hey! Am I really gonna be safe with this brat?" Tazuna asked and pointed to Naruto.

"Mai and I are both Jounin so don't worry." Kakashi laughed and I nodded. Naruto got angry.

"HEY OLD MAN DON'T MESS WITH NINJAS! I'M INCREDIBLE!" he shouted. I sighed and shook my head. "ONE DAY I WILL TAKE ON THE SUPER ELITE NINJA TITLE OF HOKAGE! MY NAME IS UZUMAKI NARUTO! REMEMBER IT!"

Tazuna gave him a 'uh-hu' look. "Hokage is the villages number one ninja, right? I doubt someone like you could become it."

I looked at Naruto waiting his response. "SHUT UP! I'M PREPARED TO BECOME HOKAGE! ONCE I BECOME HOKAGE YOU WILL ACKNOWLEDGE ME!"

Tazuna turned and continued to walk. "No I wont, you brat. Even if you did become hokage."

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Naruto yelled and ran to kill Tazuna again.

"I said stop." Kakashi and I said again as we held onto Narutos collar.

"Oh and Naruto, ninjas are supposed to be quiet." He turned and glared at me. "Silence is a virtue. Believe it!" I grinned. Kakashi sighed.

"What was that?" I asked him. He just kept walking. I shrugged and continued to walk. While we were walking Kakashi and I explain the five Kages and such. Also the countries and the ninjas. Finally as we were walking I noticed a puddle.

"Don't worry though Sakura, we won't be fighting any ninjas on this mission." I laughed to Sakura as Kakashi patted her head and nodded in agreement.

'It hasn't rained recently. Could it be?' I silently brushed my hand past Kakashi's. He gave a slight nod telling me he has seen it.

"Oi, Tazune-san so what's the deal with this bridge you're going to be building?" I asked.

"Uh, just a normal bridge that just takes one piece of land to the next." he said in a monotone voice. I nodded and then went next to him so I was closer to him, Sakura, and Sasuke. If need be I could hurry and be next to Naruto in a matter of seconds. My ears bristled and my tail did the same I turned and saw them instantly. Two ninjas came out of the puddle. Kakashi just looked bored.

"KAKASHI!" I yelled. As one ninja jumped up with a chain. "BEHIND YOU!"

"What?" he asked.

"One down." One of the people muttered and then they pulled. Kakashi was destroyed. I say destroyed because I can't think of anything better to say.

"Two down." they said and were behind Naruto. I hurried and jumped up and shouted to Sakura.

"GUARD TAZUNA!" She got in front of him. Sasuke also jumped up and threw a kunai that hit the chain and sent it into a tree. I came down with a kick on one and did a round house so I tripped the other one. So he was on the ground. "Sasuke grab Naruto!" I yelled as pushed myself off the ground on which I landed and kicked my foot over Naruto's head to kick the other one. They took the chains off and ran at Naruto and Sakura. One clawed Naruto and the other one tried to hit Tazuna. She jumped in front of him and yelled for him to get back. Sasuke got in front of the one who was going after Sakura and I hit the one who clawed Naruto up into the air. When he came back down to above my head I instantly lifted my leg and brought it back down in a powerful kick. I then grabbed him by the neck and held him.

"Got the other one, Sir Kakashi?" I asked with a smirk.

He just smirked and looked over at Naruto and me. "Yeah, I got him. Oh, Naruto sorry we didn't get there in time. You were injured. I didn't think you'd freeze like that." He turned to Sasuke and Sakura. "Well done you two."

"Yeah, great job!" I said with a smile and hit the guy over the head with a rock when he started waking up. "Oh, Naruto…don't be scared dear." I turned to him giving him the pitiful eyes. "Kakashi and I have the bad guys now." Sure I felt bad doing this to him, but it was the only way he'd learn.

Sasuke turned to him. "Are you alright Scardy cat?" He was about to argue when Kakashi stopped him.

"Save it for later, Naruto. Their claws most likely had poison on them. Don't move so much or it will spread."

"Sit down." I ordered then both I and Kakashi turned to Tazune and gave him a somewhat criticizing look. "We need to talk, Tazune-san." We both said with a bit of a glare. Kakashi came up to me and took the ninja off of my hands and I went to look at Naruto's wound.

"They look like they're from the hidden mist. These shinobi's are known to continue fighting no matter what." Kakashi explained.

I nodded. "MM. That's how their taught. Even if your best friend dies right in front of you, you fight. My sisters and I stayed there for about five months before we moved on. It's best to say that their dangerous." I said and started to spread chakara through Narutos hand. One of the shinobis glared.

"How did you read our movements?"

"On a sunny day like today there wouldn't be a puddle." Kakashi explained.

"Plus it hasn't rained recently so a puddle near here isn't plausible." I informed them with a smirk. "Get your facts right boy's."

"Why did you let the brats fight then? If you knew they would attack…" Tazune asked.

"If we wanted to Mai and I could kill these two instantly…but we needed to know who they were after. I needed to know if they were after you or one of us. At first I thought it was Mai-"

"HEY!"

"but they went straight for you."

"Mr. Tazune, we were told that this mission was to protect you from gangs and thieves, not shinobi." I stated and wrapped up Narutos hand after I got most of the poison out.

"It is now a B-rank mission. Tazune I understand you must have had your reasons but it is a challenge for us when you lie about the mission. The mission we were given stated that we were to protect you until the bridge was done. Now because of the attacks we are operating out of our orders."

"Sakura calm down." I stated when she started to get a bit freaked out. "Naruto's all healed see." I stated and help up his hand.

Kakashi looked down at Sakura who was trembling a bit. "Hmmm…this may be to much." He turned to me and Naruto. "Maybe we should return to the village to make sure the treatment worked." I nodded.

"I can treat some poison wounds but I'm not sure if I got it all because I don't know what poison they used."

"URAH!" Naruto yelled and jammed a kunai into his now wrapped hand.

"WHAT THE HELL?" I yelled shocked.

"NARUTO WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Sakura yelled.

I turned to Kakashi and then back to Naruto who still had the kunai in his hand. It seemed like he was arguing with himself. "…Naruto?"

"With his kunai?" Tazune muttered. He turned to us.

"I'll protect the old man, we're continuing this mission." he glared.

"Naruto…it's good your getting the rest of the poison…but…anymore and you'll die from blood loss." Kakashi said with a smile and I nodded with a smile. His face went form 'grr' to 'WHAT!' in a matter of point five seconds. "WHAT I CAN'T DIE FROM SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"

"Calm down, let me see your hand. Mai hand me those bandages, will you?"

"Yeah, here." I said and handed him some. Sakura yelled from behind me.

"NARUTO WHAT THE HELL? ARE YOU A MOSOCHIST OR SOMETHING?"

I looked at Kakashi bandaging the wound. I looked at the healing flesh. 'What? I can't heal flesh like that. I don't think Kakashi can either. Must be the nine-tails.' Kakashi finished wrapping it up while we ignored Narutos whimpers.

"Sensei's," we turned to Tazune. "I need to talk to you." I looked up at Kakashi and he looked down at me. (He's taller than her even when their sitting.) Then we looked back.

**(When will my reflection show, who I am inside? When will my reflection show, who I am inside?)**

"Sensei…I like your fur." Naruto snickered behind me. I turned and glared. Mist. One word something I hate for a reason. It makes my fur get a fizzy and my hair too. Not only that when my tail fizzes up I look more like a bear or something rather than a fox.

"Shut it deadlast." I glared. He glared back.

"Don't call me that." he whisper yelled.

"Then don't make fun of my fur…and hair." I tried to smooth it out but it just bounced back. Dammit. "So now we're dealing with Gatou. Great." I said sarcastically. "Don't you realize he has like millions of men with him. He's like the head of the mafia."

"Are you complaining?" Tazune asked.

"No, but I'm wondering why you got into so much trouble with him."

"Huh, I still don't understand who's Gatou?" Sakura asked. Tazune and Kakashi explained while I put explained a little as well. We also learned why he was after Tazune. I then remembered when Kakashi asked a major question on our way to the bout.

"I don't quite understand Tazune-san. If you knew ninjas were after you…why did you hide the fact when you hired us?"

I lifted my hand. "I can answer that. You see the wave country is extremely poor. I can only assume that Tazune-san couldn't afford an expensive B-rank mission. Am I right, Tazune-san?" I turned to him.

"Yes that's right." he nodded, and looked down. "Well if you quit the mission now I will defiantly be poor," he then looked up with a smile. "But don't worry about it! If I die my cute ten year old grandson will just cry for a few days! Oh yeah, and my daughter will just live a sad life hating leaf ninjas, but that won't be your fault." My teams shoulders sagged. I straightened and turned around.

"Well you heard the man, let's go!" I started walking and then stopped. (Remember this is a flashback, or at least in the manga it is.) I turned to look at my teams and Tazunes shocked face. "What? I'm just kidding. I'm not that heartless."

Kakashi gave a fake smile. "Well I guess we have no choice. We will protect you at least until you get back to your country."

The sailor wished us good luck and I looked around. "Sir Kakashi, I'm just telling you this now, if we're attacked again…it's gonna be jounin."

"I figured as much." We continued to walk when Naruto yelled.

"THERE!" and threw a shuriken towards the tree. Silence.

"Poor rat." I muttered as I heard the poor rat run away. "And you missed target Naruto."

"oh, so it was just a rat." Naruto said and raised a hand to his head.

"STOP TRYING TO ACT COOL! THERE WAS NOTHING THERE!" Sakura yelled.

"Uh please stop throwing shuriken, it's dangerous." Kakashi asked as he sweat.

"HEY MIDGET! STOP ACTING LIKE A MORON!" Tazune yelled.

I ignored them when I got a scent. 'Rabbit. Hmm. Dinner's early.' I grinned but stopped. 'Wait a minute.'

"THERE!" Naruto yelled again and almost hit the bunny.

"I SAID STOP!" Sakura yelled and hit him. Kakashi and I went to take a look.

"Somebody is after us I swear." Naruto argued.

"YEAH RIGHT!" Sakura yelled back.

I looked at the rabbit. It was shaking the shuriken right above his head.

"Dinner." I grinned but then stopped. "White?" I whispered so only Kakashi could here me. Naruto came and hugged the rabbit.

"Poor rabbit, I'm so sorry."

Sakura yelled at him. "NARUTO, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

"Naruto keep a good hold on him. That's our dinner." The rabbit then peed on Naruto.

"EWW!"

"He-he, sucker." I laughed. Then I turned serious and opened my senses to the area around us and sniffed the air. 'White rabbit? Rabbits are only white during the winter. It's spring so it's supposed to be brown. The color changes due to the sunlight…that means that the rabbit must have been caged for body switching purposes. After all if the rabbit was brown that would mean it was a wild one, if it was in a cage that would mean somebody would keep it to use. That can only mean,' I grinned. 'an enemy already.' I then heard a small creak of a tree. I took a deep breath so I could get more of the scent without the enemy noticing and realized that the scent was coming with the wind. The wind was currently coming at me from directly in front of me that could only mean- I heard another creak. Kakashi must have too because-

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" Kakashi and I yelled at the same time. Instantly a sword came flying at us and everyone ducked. Then the sword was embedded into the tree and somebody stood on it. The man had wrappings all over his face he had black hair and was shirtless…with a six-pack. Plus he had a REALLY big sword and… 'Oh dear that sounds kinky.' I laughed silently.

I whistled. "That's a really big sword. How do you wield it?" The man ignored me and then Kakashi spoke.

"Well, well. If it isn't the hidden mists missing-nin, Momochi Zabuza-kun."

'Momochi Zabuza?' I looked up at him. "Kakashi…are you sure this is Momochi Zabuza?" I knew the guy's reputation and frankly I don't think there's a way in hell our students could take him on and win. They'd die.

"Quite sure." Suddenly Naruto tried to run foreword, Kakashi put his hand out to stop him. "Everyone but Mai step back, this guy is on a whole new level." I nodded.

"Protect Tazune, that's our mission." I glared at Naruto. "The mission we received by the Hokage." Kakashi then put a hand on his protector.

"It will be a little tough, unless I do this." Momo as I now call him glared at Kakashi and I. "You appear to be Saringan Kakashi and Demon Mai, sorry but the old man is mine." I narrowed my eyes. 'Sharingan…interesting. He even knows my old nick name.' I smirked, 'to bad he won't be seeing my demon though.'

"Surround and protect Tazune like Mai said, that's the teamwork here." He then glared at Momo. "Zabuza first," He lifted his protector up to reveal a sharingan. "fight me."

Momo turned around. "Ah, I already get to see the famous sharingan, I'm honored. Although I'd be more honored if I'd get to see why they call you the demon. I don't really see why you achieved that name." I closed my eyes and grinned. 'Perhaps I'll give him a show. I can't very well use 'that' now. Not now and possible not ever again.' I then opened my eyes to show off my eyes that were now silted and looked more like a foxes.

"Interesting." He smirked. "But I still don't see the demon."

"Sharingan, what the hell is that?" Naruto asked. As Sasuke explained the kids surrounded Tazune.

"When I was a member of the hidden mist's assassination team, I kept a handbook, and it said that this man has copied more than 1,000 jutsu. Copy ninja Kakashi." He then turned to me. "Your name was in there too, although it said that you traveled a lot. It only had a shitty picture, your name, height, and a description of what you looked like. It also said that any person that fought to kill would die, only…certain remains left. So what's your power?"

I narrowed my eyes. 'How did they get that much information?' "You don't deserve the right to know. Besides, I'm only allowed to show that power during the full moon, sorry." 'I can't let him know. I promised sensei.'

"Now, let's stop all this talking. I have to kill the old man." The kids instantly took their kunais out.

"But Kakashi…Mai…it seems I have to beat you guy's first." He then grabbed his sword and appeared on the water. He raised one hand in the air and put on close to his mouth.

'That's a lot of chakara.' I thought and then narrowed my eyes and the words he spoke.

"Ninpo, hidden mist no jutsu." He then disappeared.

"He's gone." Naruto exclaimed. We were then surrounded by mist.

"He'll come after me of Mai first. Momochi Zabuza as a member of the hidden leaf was a master of silent killing. You don't even notice until your already dead. It's not like I can use the sharingan perfectly. Be careful."

"The mist's getting thicker." Naruto yelled.

"Eight choices." I heard Momo's voice sound through. "Liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, neck vein, brain, kidney, heart. Which one should I go after."

'Interesting._**' **_I frowned. 'Now where have I heard that before?' Kakashi suddenly put his hands into a sign. (A.N. I don't know all the hand signs.) Behind me I heard Sasuke shaking and I smelt sweat through the mist.

"Sasuke don't worry. I'll protect you guy's even if it kills me." Kakashi said.

I nodded. "Same here, Sasuke." Kakashi and I then grinned and turned.

"I don't let my comrades die." we said in unison. 'Okay, we need to stop talking in unison. It's a bit creepy.'

"SHIT!" I exclaimed when Momo then appeared in-between the kids and Tazune.

"It's over." Kakashi jumped before he could hit anybody with his sword and pushed the kids out of the way. Kakashi jabbed a kunai into his gut and water spilled out.

Suddenly Naruto yelled out. "SENSEI BEHIND YOU!" Momo was behind him and was about to swing. He swung and cut through Kakashi, but it wasn't Kakashi, a water clone actually.

"Don't move." I ordered as I stood behind him with a kunai in my hand on his neck. In my other hand was a piece of metal that's length had me hold it in the middle and the sides hung out of my hands. "Its over." I snarled.

"YEAH!" Naruto yelled.

"NICE!" Sakura yelled.

"HE-he." Momo laughed. "It's over? You don't get it. There is no way you can beat me with your fast movements and monkey like imitations. But that was impressive of you two. At that time, Kakashi had already copied my water clone no jutsu. You had your clones say those words in order to side track me and you Mai had already put enough chakara into your feat to make it seem as though you just disappeared and reappeared behind me. It was a good plan but…" 'OH, SHIT!' "I'm not that easy either." I felt another Momo behind me. I instantly jabbed the kunai into the clone in front of me and turned to block the upcoming attack.

"THAT ONE'S A CLONE TOO!" Naruto yelled. Kakashi was instantly behind me and pushed me down in order for me to dodge the sword. Momo kicked his leg out and kicked Kakashi out of the way. Kakashi fell into the water.

"SIR KAKASHI!" I yelled as I noticed Momo had disappeared. I saw Momo stand on water with Kakashi in a water sphere prison. He talked to Kakashi and then appeared to fight the kids. I instantly got in front of them.

"Ah, I forgot about you. No matter." He swung his sword forward and hit me with its side and I was thrown to the other side.

'Dammit.' I growled and stood again. But there was another Momo in front of me and another behind me.

"TAKE TAZUNE AND RUN AWAY! THERE'S NO CHANCE OF YOU BEATING HIM! HIS CLONES CAN'T BE VERY SEPERATED FROM HIS BODY!" Kakashi yelled. I looked over one of his clones shoulder to see a clone about to fight the kids and Naruto on the ground.

I yelled. "LISTEN TO KAKASHI AND RUN DAMMIT!" The clones wouldn't attack unless ordered so by their master, as one would say.

Naruto ran towards Momo. "NARUTO, DON'T!" I yelled. He got hit and flew backwards.

"What are you doing Naruto, jumping in all by yourself? We're genin, we have no chance against him." Naruto then stood up with his head protector that was once under Momos foot.

'Just for a head protector?' I lifted an eyebrow. 'Oh, I see.'

"Hey you eyebrowless freak-"

("DID GAI STEAL YOUR EYEBROWS!" GirlX901 yelled. WARNING THIS IS NOT PART OF THE STORY I JUST HAD TO ADD THAT!)

"Put this in your handbook, the man who will one day become hokage," he lifted the protector to his forehead and tied it. "Leaf village ninja, NARUTO UZUMAKI!" he tightened it.

'Nicely done.' I smirked, then frowned. 'Hey, their not planning on-"

"Hey Sasuke, lend me your ear. I've gotta plan."

"Pfft, teamwork from you?" Sasuke smirked.

"Yeah," Naruto grinned with a slight smirk. "LET'S GO WILD!"

'I agree but I need to go wild, not the kids who are SUPPOSED to protect Tazune.'

"A lot of arrogance but do you stand a chance."

"HEY, DID YOU NOT HEAR A WORD KAKASHI AND I SAID!"

"EXACTLY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THIS FIGHT WAS OVER ONCE MAI AND I WERE CAUGHT! OUR DUTY IS TO PROTECT TAZUNE-SAN! DID YOU FORGET THAT!"

"Old man?" Naruto asked as he turned to face Tazune.

Tazune looked down. "Well, I planted this seed by myself. I'm not going to now say that I desire to live so much that I'd stop you." He then looked up. "I'm sorry guys. Fight as much as you want."

"NO GO HIPPIE!" I yelled.

Naruto and Sasuke turned to me. "No." Sasuke said as if I was asking them if they wanted sugar in their coffee.

"Sorry Mai-sensei, but…we have to do this." Naruto said with a grin.

The way he smiled. They way both of their eyes sparkled made me realize that it was true. They had to do it. They had to become stronger and they had to fight him. I sighed and looked down.

"Don't die." I muttered. "I've already faced enough death." I looked up with a grin. "Kick his ass!"

"OI, DEVIL ZABUZA! GO DIE IN A HOLE!" I yelled and then started to fight his clones.

To one I threw a few kunais and it died but in it's place another instantly appeared. 'Why did I know that was what would happen?' I jumped up and came down with piece of metal hitting the clone in the head so it was embedded. Two more. 'Wait a minute. Two?' I hit the one with a kunai and another two appeared after it disappeared. Now I was facing four. I smirked when I looked over one of their shoulders and saw Naruto on the water throwing a kunai. I turned and continued to fight them. I kicked, hit, threw kunais, threw shuriken, did backbends and then I did the whole scene off of Robots and Brittney Spears played as I hit and fire works went of. Well maybe not like that exactly, but that would be cool! EITHER WAY! The more I fought and destroyed clones, the more were created. Above the many clones a two huge water dragons came to life and then morphed into one and then disappeared.

"Awkward." I muttered and dodged a sword as it came down. I jumped up and stepped off of the swords flat part I flew up and threw more shuriken.

SWIST! I didn't notice the one behind me. Suddenly I felt the blade go through muscle and tissue. "NGH!" I held back a scream. I quickly slid of the blade and more blade went through more skin. Thankfully it didn't reach the bone, but my shoulder still had a deep cut that would be hard to work with. "Dammit!" I muttered. I put a hand on my shoulder and looked at it. The scent of blood reached my senses and I took a deep breath and licked my lips. A huge wave came over us and I went floating across the ground a bit before I it stopped.

"SIR KAKASHI!" I yelled in annoyance.

"SORRY!" he yelled back.

"THIS IS ANNOYING!" I yelled again and then jumped in the air. I did some hand signs and yelled. "DANCE OF THE FEATHERS NO JUTSU!" Then suddenly a bunch of white feathers flew down. One of the Momo's laughed.

"You honestly think that feathers will hurt me. Even a feather can't hurt a clone."

I smirked. "That's what you think." Once the kunais were just barley touching the clones skin, they turned into kunai and destroyed all of them.

A few seconds later, "THUMP!" I turned to see Momo on the ground with needles through his neck and a woman or man in a tree. 'Those needles.' I thought before I was pulled under water. The water from the millions of clones came on top of me when I landed and so I went under a bit of a wave. Before I went under I got a sniff of the womans/mans scent. Momo's was mixed into it. His scent was all over it. I spluttered to the top and coughed water out. 'The scent, those needles. That means their allies.' I thought as I coughed. I saw the woman disappear with Momo and Kakashi patting Narutos head. 'What the hell!'

"WHAT *COUGH* THE HE- *COUGH* LL! WHY'D YOU LET THEM ESCAPE!" I yelled.

"What?" Kakashi asked.

"Zabuza's scent was all over that nin. Plus those needles were not the regular killing needles. They're paralysis, they only paralyze until it seems like their dead! You just let the enemy escape!"

Kakashi then fell! 'You have gotta be kidding me!' "EH!" I yelled and ran over, careful of my shoulder. I sighed as I looked at him. "You use your sharingan to much, didn't you?" He only had the energy to nod. "Sucker."

"Well, you might as well come to my house and rest. I guess your gonna need it." Tazune said. I looked up with an, 'really' face. Suddenly, from blood loss and well, from using the dancing feather which takes A LOT of chakara, I too passed out.

"SENSEI'S" I heard Naruto yell.

**(When will my reflection show, who I am inside? When will my reflection show, who I am inside?)**

"So had Zabuza been really been dead, that's what would have happened to him. SCARY!" Sakura exclaimed as I blinked my eyes open.

"No need to shout Sakura." I muttered.

"MAI-SENSEI!" Naruto and Sakura yelled.

"Never mind." I muttered.

"How are you Sensei?" asked a woman with dark hair.

"Hmm?"

"That's Tazunes daughter. Tsunami." Kakashi exclaimed.

"Oh, yes thank you Tsunami-chan. I'm fine, thank you for helping me." I sat up and rolled my arms and twisted my head a bit from side to side. I felt some bandages on one of my ears, arms, and legs. Probably from a few nicks I got from the clones. I felt some more on injured shoulder.

"I didn't exactly know how to wrap your ear, but-"

"You did fine, couldn't do it better myself." I smiled. I turned to Kakashi. "Oi, lazy ass, get off your ass." I glared.

"Um…I can't exactly move for about a week." I narrowed my eyes. "Weak." I muttered.

"Oi, you fainted, I just fell and couldn't get up." he argued.

"I had to fight millions of clones! Plus I didn't exactly perfect the jutsu I used. I need to work on it a bit, I used to much chakara on it." I muttered.

"What jutsu, Mai-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"…You didn't see it?" I asked. Naruto, Tazune, Kakashi, and Sasuke shook their heads no. "Were you only watching Kakashi's fight." They all nodded their heads. I stared at the moment before looking away. "Well, that sucks. My fight was cool too."

"I saw it sensei!" Sakura yelled she turned to the others. "It was so cool! She jumped up in the air and did a bunch of signs REALLY fast, she then yelled, 'Dance of the feathers no jutsu' a bunch of feathers came down. I thought it was kinda stupid because feathers are weak and all and not even a feather can destroy a clone. Then suddenly they turned to kunais and destroyed the clones."

"Seriously!" Naruto asked awed.

"I still need to work on it thou. I think I'm gonna change it to falling feathers or something." I muttered. Kakashi fell back asleep. I sighed and brought my tail from behind and started petting it and brushing my hands through it. I found a knot and brushed my hand through until it was smooth.

"…Sensei?" Sasuke asked. I turned to him.

"Hmm?"

"Zabuza said something about you being called demon Mai. Why did they call you that?" He asked and the others nodded. I looked up and tilted my head.

"I honestly have no idea." I lied.

"He also said that…if somebody fought you only certain remains were left." Naruto added with a shiver.

"…Hmmm, I wonder where he got such a funny idea like that." I then scratched my well ear and turned to them. "Funny really, demon Mai. I don't look like a demon, at least I don't think I do."

"You also said that you couldn't use 'it' unless there was a full moon."

I smirked. "It's called a lie Sakura. I figured I'd play with him."

We were silent for a few moments. "Sensei, is Zabuza really alive?" Sakura asked. Kakashi then sat up and I smiled. 'So the lazy finally get's up.'

"Weather Zabuza is dead or not we still need to think that Gatou could very well have hired a stronger shinobi." Kakashi explained. "With all the suspicion of either Zabuza being alive and/or Gatou having another shinobi to fight us, we have to prepare. That is the shinobi rule." Kakashi said and I smirked.

"True that." I then turned to the kids.

"But sensei's…preparing? Kakashi-sensei you can barely move and Mai-sensei you need to build up your chakara." Both of us chuckled. She looked at us with question in her eyes.

"You will be the ones training Sakura." I explained. "Also, sure we are injured but we have been through worse." In my mind I had the flashbacks of my past injury's. "A lot worse." I muttered.

Sakura snapped. "What's a little training going to do?" She stood up with clenched fists. "Our enemy is a ninja that even BOTH of YOU struggled against. That's with the sharing an and…animal reflexes."

"WHAT'S THE … SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" I yelled and stood up a bit. Kakashi put a hand in front of me to sit back down.

"Sakura who saved me while I struggled?" Kakashi asked.

"And not me." I muttered darkly. "Though I didn't struggle, I was still in danger." Again I was ignored.

"You guy's are growing rapidly. Especially you Naruto!" Kakashi smiled. I turned with a grin.

"I may have been fighting all those guys but I saw those attacks and plans Naruto. Well done, you and Sasuke. Sakura…you tried."

"WHAT'S THE … FOR?" She yelled.

I grinned even more. "Payback's a bitch!" She glared and I smiled some more. "You did protect Tazune though so you deserve some credit as well Sakura." I smiled, and she calmed down.

"Either way Naruto you've improved the most." Kakashi said and Naruto got a smile of pride.

"But obviously this training is until I get better. You won't be able to defeat him without me."

I scoffed. "Say's you."

"You're also injured Lady Mai."

I stayed silent for a moment. "Damn." I turned and glared. "I could still fight him without you!" I yelled and turned away and pouted. "I'd need the kid's help but I'd still be able to fight without you."

"I bet you money you wouldn't succeed."

"I bet you money I would, and then I would run all through Konoha yelling things like, 'look at Kakashi, he's such a weakling pussy! Oh he couldn't even take a simpleton ninja like I could!' and then everyone would laugh." Kakashi and the students looked at me.

"…How long have you been planning that?"

I smiled. "For quite some time now!" He sighed and shook his head as I grinned. He shook his head and turned to the kids.

"Either way we shall train."

"But, sensei if Zabuza is still alive he could attack anytime. So should we be training?" Naruto asked.

"About that, a person put in a momentary death, or paralysis, it takes time for the persons body to return to normal."

"So we train until then, sounds like fun!" Naruto grinned.

"That's not fun." said a little boy with a stripped hat.

"Oh Inari! Where were you!" Tazune asked with his arms open for a hug.

"Welcome back grandpa." he replied in monotone.

Tsunami then said to her son that was hiding behind Tazune. "Inari say hello to these people. They are ninjas who protected grandpa."

He turned to his mother. "Mom, their all gonna die." he said and pointed to us.

"I love his support." I said with a smile and turned to Kakashi.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Naruto yelled and was about to throttle Inari, had not Sakura hold onto his shirt like Kakashi or I usually have too. Of course Sakura was mad too, but she knew better than to fight with a child.

"There's no way you can win against Gatou." Inari said with his head down. I turned to him and eyed him with one of those 'aw I get it' looks.

"YOU BRAT I'LL-"

"WHY ARE YOU FIGHTING WITH A CHILD NARUTO!" Sakura yelled and hit him over the head.

Naruto ignored her. "Hey Inari listen! I am a super hero who will one day become an incredible ninja called Hokage! I don't know this guy Gatou but he's got nothing on me."

"He does on me." I muttered as a flashback came into view.

_FLASHBACK:_

_Rima, Noi, and I were all running from Gatou's men. Behind us was a big mushroom cloud. Finally I turned and yelled at Rima._

"_WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" I shouted. "YOU DO REALIZE THAT, THAT WAS A BOMB RIGHT! WHY DID YOU PRACTICE YOUR PAPER BOMBS ON A BUILDING?" _

"_I THOUGHT IT WAS DECORATION AND THE HOUSE NEEDED TO BE PRETTIER!" she shouted back._

"_WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?" I yelled at Noi._

"_I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY!" She yelled back. Suddenly I got hit on the back of the head and an old man was suddenly by me._

"_OH AND WHAT'S YOU EXCUSE MAI!"_

"_SENSEI!" I yelled and ran faster with my sisters right beside me. "I'M SORRY!" Let's just say that as I ran Gatou was running after me with a sword. Damn, why did he go after me? Oh yeah._

"_WHY ARE YOU ONLY CHASING AFTER ME? SHE'S THE ONE THAT PLANTED THE BOMB!"_

"_ELDEST GET'S THE DISCIPLINE!" He shouted and threw a club. _

_FLASHBACK OVER:_

"And that is why we left this village. Anywho, continue." I said to Inari as everyone else sweat dropped. He turned to Naruto and glared.

"There's no such thing as a hero."

Naruto yet again went for the throttle. "WHAT?"

"STOP IT!" Sakura yelled and hit him again.

Inari left for a door. He turned his head and looked back at us. "If you don't want to die, leave."

"Where are you going Inari?" Tazune asked.

"To look at the ocean from my room." was his simple reply. Naruto ran after him with an angry yell.

"Sorry." Tazune apologized. I smiled.

"No biggie." I then looked at the door. 'Something must have happened to this family.'

**(When will my reflection show, who I am inside? When will my reflection show, who I am inside?)**

I sighed as I sat in my tree branch. Kakashi was explaining to the kids on how to climb a tree with only chakra and such. Silly little ninjas think they know how to use chakra.

"What's chakra?" Naruto asked. I burst out laughing and almost fell out of the tree had I not held on my legs.

"AHAHAH! Haha! Oh you were serious." I then lifted myself back up and looked around as Sakura explained. 'Ok first things first. Find out Gatou's hide out and see if I can get that book from Momo. I need to hide that information about myself. I also need more on Kakashi. So now, where is his hideout?' I looked from right to left expecting it to just pop out. 'Urgh, Mai listen to yourself. I should be trying to find out why that kid is like that and what's up with that family. UGH! Sensei it would be easier if you were here. It'd be easier if I had an idiot to hit, like Rima.' I picked up a rock and threw it at Naruto.

"HEY!" he yelled back and I went back to thinking.

'I wonder what his real motive is. I also am very bored.' I looked around hoping that the kids and Kakashi can't see me. I reached into my bag and pulled out Ichi Ichi Paradise. After a few moments I was whispering to myself. "Say you love her you idiot. Say it!"

"He doesn't say it for another two chapters." a familiar voice say's behind me.

"Dammit, Kakashi aren't you supposed to be teaching the kids about tree climbing?" I asked angrily.

He smirked. "Aren't you supposed to be helping?"

"I am helping. Soon after your done, I'll teach them about sex." Kakashi smirked.

"Show them an example of tree climbing." I looked up and put the book back in my bag.

"Okay!" I then put chakra into my feet and started to climb the tree until I reached a big branch and walked across the bottom. "That good?" I asked. Kakashi started to explain while I got out three kunai. I threw it at their feet when he was done explaining the main part.

"Use those kunai to mark how far up the tree you make it up. Then use that mark as a goal to surpass. You guy's wont be good enough to just walk up the tree. So try running and get some momentum. Kay?" I asked with a tilt of my head.

Naruto grinned. "This training is nothing to me! I could do it for breakfast! 'Cuz I'm most improved."

"Why don't you stop bragging, pick a tree and try to climb it." Kakashi said in a bored tone. He hung upside down now since he climbed up the tree a bit.

"HERE I GO!" Naruto yelled and then all three students ran for the tree after they gathered some -some being the key word- chakra into their feet.

Naruto fell instantly and Sasuke got up a few feet. Sakura kept on going though. I smirked. "Atta girl." I muttered.

Naruto rolled around and Sasuke landed on his feet. Naruto stood again and had a huge bump on his head. "This is pretty easy!" Sakura yelled from above.

"It seems the one that is best at chakra control now is…Sakura." Kakashi said with a smile. Naruto encouraged her and Sasuke looked down. Sakura looked down with a sigh.

"Rejection." I whispered and then let the chakra leave my feet and I dropped. During the fall I twisted my body to land on my feet.

"Wow not only does she know a lot about chakra, but her stamina and control are quite good as well. So she is now closer to being Hokage, unlike a certain someone, and I guess the Uchiha clan isn't worth much either."

I fell to the ground in a fake bow. "I bow to you future Hokage. Well done on beating the hot headed noble."

"SHUT IT SENSEI'S!" she yelled as I felt the glare of the boy's on my head.

"Well than, Sakura if your done with your chakra training, come here. I've gotta teach you something!" I yelled. She looked down at me with question and the boy's did too. "Hurry, I don't got all day!" I yelled up at her. She came down and I looked at her. She was out of breath. 'It can wait for a day.' "Never mind rest up too." I said and looked up at the tree Kakashi was at. I jumped to one branch then to another until I reached him and sat on the branch. As I watched Sasuke and Naruto try to reach the top I smiled when I remembered Jemin and I doing the exact same thing.

"Kakashi, since Sakura is already well at this how about she and I guard Tazune tomorrow on the bridge. I want to teach her about using her chakra in different way's other then jutsu's."

"I was just about to ask you to do that." Kakashi said with a smile. "Oh and by the way, you're gonna have to teach me that jutsu you did." I smiled back.

"All you need is your sharingan. Oh but I also am going to work on that so I'll show you after I'm done." I frowned. 'Great, now I just have to work even MORE on it.'

**(When will my reflection show, who I am inside? When will my reflection show, who I am inside?)**

YAWN! Sakura yawned and raised her fist. I yawned after that. "Contagious." I muttered and she giggled. I turned to her. "I told you that I wanted to teach you something...remember?" She nodded. "Well stand up then." She and I stood up and then we went to an area that people weren't working. "Okay, first thing's first. Try to hit me." She looked at me in shock.

"B-but sensei."

"I mean it Sakura. Hit me with all you've got." She then came at me and tried to hit me. Soon we were in a dance of sorts. She would try to hit or kick me and I would dodge. She kept on getting irritated and finally she came at me hard and put force into the punch. It landed on my arm.

"FINALLY!" she yelled. I laughed, she looked at me with a confused face. "W-what." I instantly went at her and punched her in gut. Not only did she go flying, she also got the air taken out of her. She started to cough.

"Sakura, you need to see that if you put chakra into your attacks you can get more power into it." I kneeled down next to her. "See." I started putting chakra back into my hand like I did when I punched her. I picked up a piece of rock and pinched it until it broke. "That's with chakra, now watch with none." I picked up another and I couldn't brake it. "See." She nodded. "Okay, now see those rocks down there." I pointed to some of the rocks that were more like boulders on the ground near the bridge. "I want you to destroy them. Understand." she nodded. "GO!" she ran and went to attacking. I watched for signs of an enemy and watched Tazune while watching Sakura attacking rocks.

"Oi, where's the other brats?" Tazune asked. I looked up at him.

"Oh Sakura is already more expertise at what we're teaching them so Sir Kakashi and I agreed that Sakura and I would be guarding you. Of course I thought it would be a good place to teach Sakura some things here." I laughed a little. "If you don't mind."

"It's a sensei's job." he shrugged. I watched Sakura hit the same rock for about thirty minutes. Sure a few dents here and there. I smirked. 'Soon enough she will be destroying those things as if they are just simple paper-thin walls.' I saw it when I met her. She has a strong fist and a strong willpower. I also saw that she has another mind or self. A person that she hides her ferocious side, yes this girl was scary when she was mad. "SAKURA THAT'S ENOUGH!" I called. She nodded and came back up here. I handed her some water and gave her a snack. We sat for a bit watching Tazune. He walked over someplace and set some beams down.

"Hey Tazune!" yelled a man who had walked up. This man had been working on the bridge for some time, so he wasn't a threat.

"Yeah, what is it Giichi?" Tazune asked when he stood back up.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and can I stop working on the bridge?"

'What?' I widened my eyes. 'Why would someone just quit? I mean I understand the danger, but still. This could help the people.'

"WHY IS THAT? THIS IS ALL SO SUDDEN, NOT YOU TOO?" Tazune yelled.

'Too? There are more?'

"Tazune, we've been close for a long time now. I want to help you, but if we continue Gatou will notice us. And if you get killed what's the point?" the man asked. I looked over at Sakura and noticed her looking at the scene the same way I was. "Why don't we quit now….building the bridge?" "I can't do that." Tazune answered. "This bridge is our bridge. This is the bridge we started building together believing it would bring resources into our super poor country." Tazune started to walk away.

"BUT IF WE LOSE OUR LIVES!"

"It's already noon. Let's stop today." He turned his head to look at Giichi. "Giichi…you don't have to come in tomorrow." As Tazune collected his belongings Sakura looked at me.

"Sensei, I don't understand why that man would say stuff like that."

"Like what stuff, Sakura?"

"Why he would quit building the bridge. Doesn't he want to protect his people? Wouldn't this bridge help them? Why would he just quit?"

I sighed and looked out across the waters. "Sakura sometimes people let their fear get in the way of their power. People know that the things they need to be doing and they do something else because they are scared. These people have Gatou to worry about. Gatou is a dangerous man." I turned to her. "Yes, the man does understand but he is scared. Scared for his family, for his friends, and for himself. I once got in a bit of a scrabble with Gatou. Me and my sisters. We left the next day like I said yesterday. Why? My sisters weren't prepared to fight all of Gatous men and my sensei was ill. If we stayed there we would have surly been killed our friends we made would be too. Gatou is a man who will kill a person and find the strings attached to said person until the persons family is either mostly dead or wanting death. It happens all the time in villages Sakura. People like Gatou come in and destroy these villages, they put fear into people so that the people let the fear take over. That's why the man acted like he did. Fear has taken over. That's why we need to stop Gatou." Sakura nodded. "Here." I handed her some candy's.

"What are these?" she asked.

"I need to return so I can get some exercise for my arm. You will escort Tazune to where he has to go. On the way you will see children and people you will want to feed. Give them these, we can't give away our food." She nodded and then put them in your bag. "See you later then." I then walked over to Tazune. "Oi, old man." he turned from packing up his stuff. "Sakura will escort you wherever you need to go now. I have to go do some things." He nodded.

"Alright, see you at the house." I nodded and then jumped down onto the land Sakura had once been. I went into the woods by there and threw down my pouches and bags and stuff. I went to a tree and jumped on a branch. I dropped so only my legs were keeping me up. I started doing sit ups from straight ones to the ones where I curved my body. "198.…199.…200.…201.…202.…203.…204.…205.…DONE!" I loosened my legs and dropped to the ground on my feet. I then did two hundred push ups on my good arm. Then on my bad arm. That hurt like hell. I stood back up and then pulled my jumper off over my head. Now I was only in my undershirt and short shorts plus my mesh things I usually wore under the shorts. I ran at a boulder and did two kicks, it was destroyed. I then hit the remaining pieces with a routine of punches and kicks until they were nothing but dust.

"Okay, now then." I quickly started to do the my splits. "Right." I muttered as I slid into my rights for a minute. "Left." I did the same only on the left. "And middle." I finished. "Now then." I settled in the grass Indian style. "Let us begin." I put my hands together and closed my eyes. I did a few hand signs and soon the feathers appeared. "Practice makes perfect."

**(When will my reflection show, who I am inside? When will my reflection show, who I am inside?)**

I walked up the pathway to Tazunes house. I had my jumper back on but the sweat was dripping off of me like I was drenched in water. I had some cuts up and down my arms. The ones on my body healed and I was able to stop the bleeding on the other cuts. I opened the door and saw Tazune crying.

"But…Inari changed after the incident with his father." he said. My eyes widened. "The word 'courage' has been stolen from the people of this island and Inari ever since the day of that incident."

"What incident?" I asked as I closed the door and walked to a free chair.

"MAI-SENSEI!" the kids -minus Sasuke- yelled when they noticed my injuries.

"QUIET!" I yelled. I turned to Tazune. "What incident?"

"Yes, what happened to Inari?" Kakashi asked. Sakura came and sat beside me and started to cover my wounds.

"Before I get to that, first I have to tell you about the man who was the hero of this city."

"Hero?" Naruto asked.

"It was about three years ago since Inari met that man." As Tazune spoke the story of Inari and Kaiza. Near the end tears pricked my eyes but I would not let them fall. I refused to. Finally Naruto stood up.

"I'm going to prove it!"

"What?" Sakura asked.

"I'm going to prove that hero's do exist!" he yelled and left. I turned to Kakashi.

"Oh darling. Our little boy is growing up so fast. It's like we were making fun of him falling from a tree yesterday." I fake sobbed.

Kakashi smiled and played along. "Yes dear…but that **was **yesterday." I laughed.

**(When will my reflection show, who I am inside? When will my reflection show, who I am inside?)**

"Feathers Dance no jutsu." I said and soon feathers surrounded me and I started to move my hands around and curve the feathers at my will. I moved them towards a tree and soon Kunai were embedded into the exact tree. "YES!" I did an arm pump. I heard voices from the tree grove a bit next to mine where Naruto and Sasuke were training.

"JUST KIDDING!" was Naruto's unmistakable voice. "HAHA YOU FELL FOR IT!"

"YOU STUPID IDIOT, YOU SCARED ME!" Sakura yelled back. I heard laughter than Naruto's voice sounded like a whisper.

"Uh-oh." I heard Naruto's scream and then I heard Sasukes voice sound through. Though it did sound like a whisper. Thank goodness for good hearing.

"You moron." I got annoyed.

"Feathers Dance no jutsu." I muttered and had feathers surround me again. I then flung my hand in that direction. I heard the unmistakable *thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk* of the many kunai hitting Narutos tree.

"!" Naruto yelled. I walked in that direction I ended up at the place where Naruto was stuck to the tree and Sasuke was hanging upside down. By the way their arms were and the faces Kakashi and Sakura were making. I'd guess Sasuke had Naruto but the feathers/kunai took him away.

"Your bothering my practice." I muttered darkly to Naruto.

"S-sorry sensei."

A few hours later I was sitting on Kakashi as he did a one handed/ a only one finger push ups. Tazune and Sakura had done them earlier but I had nothing better to do. Next to me I had two or three sacks of flour. My arms were folded and my feet were Indian style. My tail was swinging back and forth over his back.

"It makes me so mad at how Gatou is doing such things to people. I mean I've heard he'd done such….but letting a poor little boy see such things. Do people not have mercy anymore?"

"Well, you were also a child when you lost your clan. Sasuke was a child when he lost his clan. Naruto has been treated like trash all his life. I'd say only some people understand the meaning of mercy."

"mmm. What did you say to Inari?" I asked. Naruto and Inari had gotten into another fight. One of which mad Inari cry and Naruto call him a weak crybaby. True but maybe he should have sugarcoated it.

"I told him a bit of Naruto's past. Told him that Naruto probably doesn't want to cry anymore."

"…he's a strong boy." I smiled.

"He has a bigger heart than most people that's for sure. It's sad to think that people mix him up with the nine tailed demon fox." Kakashi agreed.

"Yeah. Sasuke's getting strong too. The boy's are such competitors." I laughed.

"Didn't you have competition?" he asked.

"Well with my brother Jemin yes. After he died I didn't really have anyone. So I tried to beat myself. My sisters are the competitors though."

He nodded. "What's your sisters names?"

"Rima Sonia and Izumi Noi. We call Izumi, Noi though. When I'm mad I'll call her Izumi."

"…your brother…was he older than you?"

I smiled. "Yeah. I was always to be head of the clan though." My smile turned to a frown.

"Why?"

"Jemin had the liger. Yes you would think it ferocious but ligers actually don't live long and they are also sick a lot. Jemin was born sick, or so I'm told. The elders saw I was a healthy child and instantly made me heir. Jemin got better, but was still sickly a lot. I was also what people called a prodigy in my clan…I could…well I could follow most of the clans moves."

"Did Jemin get angry when he found out that he was kicked out of being the heir?"

I looked down and put my hands in my lap. "As far as I know he never did find out." I looked out to the sky. "I don't think he would be mad though. I think he'd be proud….well I don't know actually. I…-I can't remember much of him. I knew he was kind. We'd always play together and protect each other. When sensei was mad we'd both go running for the hills. We protected each other. I know that, but ….I still struggle to remember sometimes."

"You were still a child."

"I was older than Inari." I said with haste. He stopped doing pushups and I got off of him. He sat up and sat next to me.

"So you're a fox. Your brother was a liger. What were your parents? What's your sisters?"

"My dad was a lion. My mom was a tiger. Weird I know considering their first born was a liger, but it's never happened before in the past so people think it was just a coincidence. Rimas a jaguar and Noi is a raccoon."

He turned to me and looked like he raised an eyebrow. "A raccoon." I nodded and laughed.

"She's true to her animal. A true thief. Honestly I have to make her return so many things it's not even funny. You know she stole the hokages wallet. He was so mad we just ran for it. She was only five at the time." I laughed harder and he laughed too.

"What about Rima. Is she true to her name. A wild cat." I laughed harder.

"Not even close. She's more of an idiot. She carries this can of whipped cream with her everywhere she goes and calls it bob. Honestly I have to buy so much a year I could buy a totally new house. But she needs it…it's like ramen for Naruto. She can't live without it." I turned to him. "What was your family like?"

He shrugged. "Mom, Dad, and no siblings." I nodded my head.

"Where'd you get the sharingan?" I asked. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

He looked at me after a few moments. "I'll tell you when you tell me the real reason your called the Demon Mai."

I laughed. "Agreed." We sat there until we decided to go to bed. We just talked about things. About Jirayas books. About the movies that are about Jirayas books. Who the best actress in those movies should be. Yeah it was fun.

**(When will my reflection show, who I am inside? When will my reflection show, who I am inside?)**

Surrounded. Yep, that's what we were. We left Naruto behind to protect Inari and his mother for a time. Naruto would get here in time. We knew that. Now Momo had us surrounded by his clones. "Now, Sasuke." I smiled and the clones disappeared by Sasukes hands.

"You saw through my clones." Momo stated. "It looks like an enemy has appeared, huh, Haku?"

"It does indeed." replied the woman/man. I still can't tell which.

"It seems my thinking was right on the mark. Or rather Mai's figuring."

"That's right." I grinned.

"THAT MASKED NIN SHOULD STOP HIDING UNDER HIS MASK AND FACE US!" Sakura yelled. I turned to Kakashi.

"YEAH, TAKE THE MASK OFF!" I reached for Kakashi's mask but he slapped my hand down.

"Other ninja Lady Mai."

I looked at him for another moment. "….I still want to see your face." I turned back around.

"I'll fight him." Sasuke said with a pissed of face. "Tricking us with that stupid act, I hate bastards like that the most."

"Sasuke-kun your so cool!" Sakura exclaimed.

'She is way to hung up on him.' I though as I raised an eyebrow at her.

"An impressive young man." said the heshe. "Even though those clones only had one tenth of the strength of the original. Still very impressive."

"Still we have gained the advantage. Go."

"Yes." Soon Sasuke and heshe began to fight. I watched a bit as they fought.

"Sakura, like Kakashi said don't leave our side and here." I handed her a rod that was similar to mine during the fight I had with the clones. "You'll know how to use it when the time comes." I noticed the heshe was doing hand signs with one hand. 'That's new.' Water that as like needles dropped down on Sasuke. 'SHIT!' When the water disappeared he was gone. The two then continued to fight when the water attack didn't work. The heshe got slower and Sasuke kicked him back.

"I can't have you underestimate my team by calling them brats." Kakashi said. I smirked. "Sakura is the brightest in the village."

"Sasuke is the villages number one rookie." I explained.

"And the other one-" Kakashi began and both of us finished.

"is the show off hyper active number one loudest in the village." we said in complete unison.

Momo started laughing. "Haku, do you realize at this rate, we will be driven back."

'so it's Haku.'

"Yeah, we can't have that." Haku then built up herms chakra and suddenly water began to form mirrors.

"Remind me again why we let him fight all by himself." I said to Kakashi as my eyes widened and I took a step forward. Haku had walked over and went INTO one of the mirrors. I ran, Kakashi not far behind. We were close but Momo appeared.

"Hey, your opponent is me. Besides with that jutsu, he's finished."

"Shit." I muttered. In the mirrors I heard Sasukes scream. "SASUKE!" I yelled. My voice seemed to block out Kakashi's. Behind me Sakura ran foreword and threw a shurikun. The herm leaned out of a mirror and blocked it. Then another came out of nowhere and hit herm. She fell to the ground. I turned.

"Who?" I then grinned. "What do you know, hyper active loudmouth has finally arrived."

The mist cleared and there was Naruto. "NARUTO UZUMAKI HAS FINALLY ARRIVED. NOW THAT I'M HERE EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE! THE MAIN CHARACTER OF A STORY USUALLY SHOWS UP IN THESE TYPE OF SITUATIONS AND INSTANTLY KICKS THE ENEMY'S ASS!"

'He will never be an anbu, but then again.'

"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled pleased.

Momo then threw many shurikun at Naruto. Haku then threw needles and hit the shurikun down. Momo turned to Haku. "Haku what is this?" he asked.

"Zabuza-san…these kids….please let me fight them my way." said the herm.

"So you don't want me to interfere is that it Haku? As soft as always."

"Soft?" I exclaimed. Then from inside the mirrors I heard an unmistakable voice.

"Hey, I came to save you!" Naruto high whispered. I did one of those anime fall to the grounds.

"You total moron!" Sasuke exclaimed. "If you're a shinobi us your head! Why did you come inside the mirrors? Dammit, I don't care anymore! You're an idiot!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY! I COME IN HERE TO SAVE YOU, AND THIS IS WHAT I GET!"

I looked up at Momo I laughed a bit. "He tries." I stood up. 'If I go and fight, Kakashi will be in trouble. I need to fight this guy.' I gave an inward sigh. 'I guess this is one of those moments that you have to trust your students. Damn!'

Sasuke and Naruto began to use jutsu's. But neither worked. "That Haku…an advanced bloodline." I muttered.

"I knew it!" Kakashi said beside me while Momo laughed. "With a jutsu like that."

"A jutsu like that?" Sakura asked.

"An advanced bloodline is a deep blood lineage, superior, genealogy. It's a jutsu passed down by your ancestors."

"Then…"

"Yeah, you could compare it to my sharingan. Or Mai's animal part. Even I couldn't copy it. It's impossible to defeat."

"Dammit." I heard Naruto. "I don't care. I can't die here! I have a dream to fulfill."

"Becoming a true shinobi is difficult for me. If possible, I don't want to kill you. Nor want you to have to kill me. But if you come at me. I can destroy my kind heart and become with a blade and become a real shinobi. This bridge is the place where we fight….to connect our dreams. Me for my dreams, and you for yours. Please don't hate me. I want to protect someone precious to me. To work for that person. To fight for that person. To make that person's dreams come true. That is my dream. For that, I can become a real shinobi. I can kill you."

"SASUKE-KUN! NARUTO! DON'T LOSE TO THAT GUY!" Sakura yelled.

"Oh, so it is a guy." I muttered. I then shrugged my shoulders.

"No, Sakura don't egg them on." Kakashi said from my side. "Even if they could somehow defeat that boy they can't beat that boy."

"What do you mean."

Momo laughed. "They don't have the strengths to destroy their hearts and kill another person. That young man knows the true pain of being a shinobi. A real shinobi can't be created in a peaceful village like yours, because you can't gain the most important thing. The experience of killing."

"Then what can we do sensei's?" Sakura yelled.

"Sorry but-" Kakashi started.

"We have to end this fast." he and I said at the same time and Kakashi put a hand on his protector to show his sharingan again.

"Heh, sharingan again? Is that the only thing you can do?" At that time he pulled out a kunai and I blocked before it could hit Kakashi. Our kunai's pushed up against each other. Behind me Kakashi talked.

"You asked if it's all I can do but you are afraid of the sharingan, Zabuza."

"He-he. A shinobi's supreme technique isn't something that should be shown to the opponent over and over again."

"You should feel honored. You're the only person to see it twice. And there wont be a third time."

"He-he even if you manage to defeat me. There's no way you can beat Haku. Ever since he was a kid, I have taught him all kinds of fighting skills. Even facing the greatest adversity, he has succeeded. Without a heart, no fear of death. A fighting machine known as a shinobi. And his jutsu surpasses even mine. The terrifying ability of the advanced bloodline. I gained a high quality tool for myself. Not like the scrap that follow you around."

"Is that all he is? A tool?" I asked his and my kunai separated. He ignored me and Kakashi spoke.

"There's nothing more boring then a man bragging. Let's get this started." I heard his protector lift up.

"Hold on for a second." Kakashi brought a hand up and pushed me to his side as Momo talked. "The last time, you said this to me. He-he, I've been waiting for a chance to use this line. 'I'll tell you this. The same jutsu won't work on me twice.' wasn't it?" Soon Momo used Ninpo again, he did after he told us that during the first fight he had Haku watch us and use his 'smartnesss' to come up with a way to beat it. Poor Kakashi is the sucker that Haku watched mostly. Suddenly we were surrounded in such think mist.

"SAKURA PROTECT TAZUNE!" I heard Sakura get close to Tazune to protect him.

"Lady Mai, can you smell him?" I sniffed.

"A bit but he's moving around fast, I can't get a perfect target ." Next thing we knew shurikun were flying at us. Kakashi blocked the ones in his range, and I blocked mine.

"Amazing you blocked those, Sharingan Kakashi, Demon Mai." he then used a sign. "But the next time you see me, will be your last time."

'His eyes are closed.'

"You have overrated your sharingan to much."

"What?"

Momo explained how Kakashi fought. Then suddenly something hit Kakashi and we were separated.

"Remember, I am a master of silent killing." I heard behind me and I ducked down right when a sword came flying down past me. I kicked one of my legs out and tripped the person. Momo turned to water. I stood back up and raised my kunai to block an oncoming attack. I glared at the Momo.

"Your just a clone."

"The last one was. I'm not." he lifted his sword and brought it down. I jumped out of the way and it cut me down from my neck to my belly button.

"GAH!" I yelled and brought the kunai up again to block another attack. I reached into my bag and pulled out the rod that I had in the first fight. Suddenly the rod grew and I hit the person through the head and made it turn to water. I noticed I was close to the mirrors and saw through. Naruto was on the ground wounded. Sasuke had sharingan and Haku was about to throw needles at Naruto but Sasuke jumped in the way.

"NO!" I screamed and jumped in front of the boy's. I curled my body to cover them like a shell. The needles went through numerous parts of my body. Unfortunately one missed me and hit Sasuke through the neck. Thankfully it hit just the right point to only paralysis him. Sasuke stood up for moment but carefully placed my body on the ground.

"Haku, my dream is for my friends and students dreams to come true. I have to protect them. I have to protect them and their dreams so that they can come true." I coughed up some blood. That's why I became a ninja."

Naruto woke up besides me. Sasuke spoke to him. "Geez, all you do is get in the way."

"Sasuke you-" he then saw the needle in the neck and my body.

"What's with that face idiot."

"Sasuke…sensei…why?"

I coughed. "I told you." I coughed again. "I don't let my comrades die."

Sasuke coughed and slumped a little. "I hated you." Suddenly Haku stood again and threw more needles at Sasuke. I tried to stand but couldn't. 'Damn!' Soon he had more needles in his body.

"WHY?" Naruto yelled. "I never asked for your help." Sasuke started to fall as I started to black out.

"I don't know why. My body just moved on its own. Dobe."

I coughed one last time before I fell into darkness. "SENSEIIIIIII!" I heard Naruto yell.

'Noi, Rima…be happy.'

**(When will my reflection show, who I am inside? When will my reflection show, who I am inside?)**

"If you come any further onto our island, the citizens of this country will stop you at last!" I heard. I blinked my eyes open.

'I'm not dead.' I looked and saw Inari and his people with weapons. I saw Haku, and Momo dead, along with the head of that jack ass Gatou.

"INARI!" Naruto yelled.

"Sensei, your alright!" Sakura said besides me. Sasuke was sitting up and alright. Sakuras eyes were red and puffy. I heard Inari yell back to Naruto.

"Hero's always come at the last second, right!" Naruto nodded and then made a few clones.

Kakashi did the same afterwards. I then heard Kakashi say, "So, you want some of this." I blinked.

'That was sexy.'

The people got scared and then I put my hands together and I struggled to sit up with Sakuras help. I heard Kakashi.

"Fall flying feathers…." I muttered. Millions upon millions of feathers were up in the sky. I let five drop near the criminals. The people got scared with Kakashi's people and with my feathers and ran off screaming.

"Lady Mai, your alright." Kakashi called.

I gave a hurtful laugh. "Yeah, somehow."

TWO WEEKS LATER!

I stood next to Kakashi as we stared at the graves for Haku and Zabuza. We were all healed and better. Or somewhat, I could fight but in no time will I be running in front of needles again.

I looked over at Naruto and saw him try to eat some of the food. Sakura swatted his hand down. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THAT'S BAD KARMA!" Sakura yelled and hit him again. She turned back to the graves. "Kakashi-sensei…Mai-sensei?"

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Hm?" Kakashi answered.

"Were those two right? About being a ninja?"

I kept quiet. "A shin obi isn't supposed to pursue his own goal. Becoming the villages tool is most important."

"The same for our village. Thou I don't like it, I follow it."

"Is that what it's like to be a ninja?" Naruto asked. "You know what? I don't like it, either!"

"Do you believe that too, Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked. They already knew my opinion. The wind blew by and my tail tilted with it. Then went back to it's usual swishing.

"Well…each and every ninja has to live with dealing with that issue. Just like Zabuza and that boy."

Naruto looked up with determination. "Ok, I just decided. I'm going to be a ninja in my own way." he exclaimed.

Kakashi and I blinked. Then I tilted my head and smiled. Kakashi smiled too, but it was hidden behind his mask.

We left with their thank you's. Naruto and Inari cried. I bowed to them and ran off with my team back to home.

**(When will my reflection show, who I am inside? When will my reflection show, who I am inside?)**

I walked into the front door of my house. "I'm home!" I shout. I walk up the stairs and look at the sight in front of me. The dishes in the sink haven't been done. Junk food was everywhere on the floor. The T.V. was blaring and my two sisters were asleep on the couch.

"….WHAT THE HELL?"

**(When will my reflection show, who I am inside? When will my reflection show, who I am inside?)**

**I'M DONE! YAY! FINALLY! SORRY IT'S SO LONG! I HAD TO GET THE WHOLE MISSION IN ONE CHAPTER! WELL I HOPE YOU ENJOYED! NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE RIMA OR NOI'S MISSION! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. Nois' mission, High Maintenance

**GirlX901: *bowing* FORGIVE THIS USELESS GIRL! I SHOULDN'T BE A WRITER I'M PATHETIC! I'M SO SORRY! But in order for you to forgive me, here is a chapter!**

**Trainhear**t: **Yeah she worked hard on it.**

**I 3 BOB!: *Whispering and pointing at Trainheart* she used to be Kittymistress but now shes a writer too her penname is trainheartnet13**

**Trainheart: quiet! I WAS GOING TO TELL THEM!**

**GirlX901: SHUT UP! THIS IS MY STORY! Anyways enjoy readers and remember that I don't own Naruto or anything recognizable!**

Follow the Tail Chapter Five

~Izumi Noi~

"Sensei…is this mission really… helpful to us becoming ninjas? I mean I've been doing this since I was a little girl." I said as I talked into the mouthpiece.

"Then this should be easy for you Noi." was his reply. I huffed and folded my arms and kept walking.

"You know, since you did this for a long time, maybe you can help us…" I heard through my earpiece.

"True, but aren't YOU guys suppose to be learning how to do it one your own?" I asked Ino.

"Stop being lazy…" I heard from Shikamaru. "And Noi is right, this mission doesn't really do a lot. Troublesome."

"mm" I heard Choji. "I should be eating."

"Choji if you'd stop eating you'd realize that it's close to you." I sighed as I started walking towards Chojis area. Everyone went silent through our connection.

"You're serious?" Ino said.

"Yeah, trust me we're one and the same. So right now he's thinking the same thing I am."

"And that is?"

I smirked and I started to climb up a tree. "Food!" I pulled myself up onto a hidden branch and looked down on the raccoon about to steal some of Chojis chips that he left lying around. "Target is in place Asuma-sensei."

I heard a yawn. "Same here." Shikamaru said.

"Got 'im!" Ino whispered excitedly.

"…he's got my chips!"

"Let it go Choji, the things hungry." I sighed.

"Distance to the target?" Asuma asked.

"3 meters." Shikamaru yawned.

"Are you sure that is the target?"

"What other Raccoons do you see that wears sunglasses!" My ears filled with silence. "And is NOT me!"

"….GO!" Asuma said and all of us sprang.

Choji snatched his chips back and Ino and I reached for the raccoons arms. The raccoon started to scratch us and bite us.

"OW YOU STUIPID THING!" Ino yelled.

"GRR! HEY HEY HEY! WHY ARE YOU BITING ME! I'M LIKE YOU!" I yelled.

"You scared it." Shikamaru said as he took it and held it so it couldn't scratch him. "Target captured sensei."

"Right, make it back to the Hokage tower."

"Hai!" we said in unison as we then ran towards Asuma-sensei and to the hokages tower. When we got there a farmer was waiting for the raccoon. I walked in first as the others struggled with the raccoon.

DANG!

I fell to the ground and saw stars as I stared up into the light. Should I walk towards it?

"HA! You deserved that you stinking raccoon! Think you can steal MY wheat didja! Well guess what? YOU GOT CAUGHT!" a voice yelled as I sat with my head spinning. "NOW IMMA ROAST YOU UP AND EATCHA FOR DINNER! …though your kinda big…and not at all what a expected."

"SIR! SIR! No you don't understand! That is one of the people who caught the raccoon! She is not the raccoon!"

"Than what's she doin wearin that tail n' ears?"

"Mister," I heard sensei. "those ARE her tail and ears. She's from the bara clan. She has the raccoon gene in her."

'That damn raccoon..every time… EVERY TIME!' I thought as I was trying to gain back the ability to move. I felt an arm on mine and someone was pulling me up, another set of hands was on my other side helping me.

"Noi, are you alright?" Ino said as she helped me sit up. I put a hand to my face and groaned.

"ummm…. Umm.. I'm sorry?" I heard the man say. I snapped my head forward.

"If your sorry than you'll pay for our services and LEAVE!" I growled. He nodded and hurried to pay. When he left I looked to the raccoon in Shikamarus hands. "and YOU! You stop getting me in trouble! Stop eating the farmers crop, or else I wont be keeping you from becoming ROAD KILL! Got it!" the raccoon with sunglasses on made a few sounds, and to normal people it would sound like just squeaking but to me… well…I can translate it. "I don't care if you were hungry, if your hungry go eat food that REGULAR raccoons eat. Now Skat!" The raccoon jumped from Shikamarus arms and left out the window.

"Okay, now that that mission is over…how about digging a trench, babysitting an elders grandson, oh and another hunting a raccoon one."

"NEVER AGAIN!" I yelled. "EACH AND EVERY FUCKING TIME!" Hit! "I always end up getting hit in the head with a DAMN SHOVEL!" Hit! "And I am TIRED of getting HIT with a FUCKING SHOVEL!" HIT! I turned and glared at Asuma. "FUCK YOU!" HIT HIT HIT HIT HIT! I fell to the ground clutching my head. The others stared at me with impressed faces.

"Ohh she got a five hitter!" Ino clapped.

"She'll never learn will she?" Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome."

"I'll show you troublesome!" I growled.

"Enough!" Iruka yelled. We stopped and stared at the Hokage.

"There is a mission that is Level C mission you will be allowed to go on if you are to work with another team." Our eyes got wide as we stared at the Hokage, Asuma stayed calm and lit another cigarette.

"Which team?" he asked calmly.

"Team 8." Sensei nodded and took a drag from his cigarette and blew some smoke out.

"And the mission?"

"To bring back the money from one of our neighboring villages."

"What?" I asked as I turned stared at him. "What money?"

"You see Izumi, some of our villages gain money for the main village, and each month we send a team to go collect it. Usually it is a team of higher rank, but this time it will be of two teams." Iruka explained.

"So…" The Hokage leaned forward and put his chin on top of his hands. "Will you accept the mission." Shikamaru, Ino, Choji and I looked up into are sensei's face, to see if we could tell what he was saying. That's one thing I have always respected from the guy since I first met him, he always had an unreadable face when it came to something serious. Asuma took another drag from his cigarette and as he let out the smoke he nodded.

"We'll take it."

"Alright!" I yelled and punched a hand in the air. Ino did the same but added of a more ALLL in it. Shikamaru just huffed his usual 'troublesome' and Choji started wondering what food he should pack.

As we the office door closed behind us I smiled. "LUNCH IS ON THE HOKAGE!" I pulled it out of my pocket and held it up in the air. WHAM!

"Give me back my wallet Izumi!" the old man growled as he stole my wallet and went back into his office. I rubbed my already hurt head and yelled back at him.

"STINGY!" Sensei just shook his head and chuckled.

"…. you stole the Hokages wallet?"

"Yeah!" I said as I bit into my bread. "Whas ta maaer wi tha?" I said as I chewed on my bread, I swallowed and started to eat more of my curry. "Not like he really needed it and all."

"Noi… it's his wallet."

"Did he have a naked picture of his wife?" Mai coughed and started to chug down her tea as I looked over to Rima who sat there eating her meal with whip cream on top.

I looked at my elder sister with disgust. "I didn't look and if he did I would be scared."

"Well… he is a man and men are all perverts"

"AN OLD MAN!" Mai yelled.

"HE PROBABLY CAN'T EVEN GET IT ON ANYMORE!" I yelled.

"With Viagra he can!"

Me and Mai paused. "This is true." Mai turned to Rima and pointed her fork at her.

"Have you been reading my smut books again?" Mai asked with an eyebrow raised.

"…No?" Rima asked. I stifled my laugh and stared at Mai as she flicked Rima on the forehead.

"Noi! Mai hit me!"

"What do you want me to do about it?" I asked as I chomped down on my chopstick full of fish.

"YOUR BOTH SO MEAN! I'M GOING TO BED!" Rima whined and jumped up ran to her hall then she ran back out and stole her Bob back.

Mai shook her head with a small smile on her lips and I started to poke my food with my fork. I've tried to eat but my nerves were starting to get to me.

"So.." Mai-nee began as she began to eat some curry. "You begin your mission tomorrow, and it's out of the village."

"I've been out of the village before, hell I've lived out of the v-"

"I wont be there to help you Izumi." she interrupted. "If your in trouble I wont be there to block attacks or get the enemy off your back. So… you need to … be able to do that for yourself and for your team mates. They will be there for you, so you be there for them."

"Nee-san…" I whispered. Somehow all of us knew that this day would come, the day when we would have to go on our own separate missions, but until today I thought that it would only be hard on me; it would probably be the hardest for her. Mai-nee has always been there protecting us when danger called, but now she wont be there to make sure that I live and survive this sort of thing, that and Rima was leaving too, she was leaving later than I was but she was still going to be leaving. Having to deal with not just one, but two sisters -two sisters who she cared so deeply for and only wished for them to be safe at all times- must be very hard on her. I wondered how she would deal with it.

"Remember to depend on your teammates and be a teammate that you can be depended on. Also don't let anyone sneek up on you or get a cheep shot, watch your back."

I stared at her with an eyebrow raised. "It's my front I'm worried about! Have you seen some of the guys out there?" Mai just stares at me with no emotion and I just stare back. "Obviously you have." I nod at her outfit.

SMACK!

I rubbed my head where Mai hit it. "Either way get to bed and heed my advice." She said as she started to gather the plates. I nodded and stood to go to bed, I passed Rimas room and saw here sitting on her bed preparing for the mission. She was sharpening her kuni and putting them in secret pouches in her outfit…seems she wanted to be prepared for anything.

"HEY NOI! OVER HERE!" Ino yelled as she waved her hand excitedly. Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Asuma-sensei, a lady with black hair and odd clothing, a shy girl with short hair and blank eyes, and a boy with a big jacket and sunglasses were by the gates. I tightened my gloves on my hands and ran over to the group.

"Hey am I the last one here?"

"No, their team has another member missing." Ino said accusingly. I just shrugged and stood next to Shikamaru and nodded to the other team.

"New gloves?" he asked. I looked down at my hands, they were leather and were fingerless.

"Yeah," I murmured and smirked. "Are you ready for this mission? I mean… out of the village and all."

He yawned and stretched. "Ya, I mean its an easy mission, we should be fine, besides Asuma taught us a lot to be able to handle anything that's challenging." I nodded and watched Choji eat some chips, Ino was smiling and acting innocent…as usual.

"SORRY WE'RE LATE!" a boy yelled as he and a dog ran up to us. He had dark brown hair and triangles on them, while the dog was white and black. The dog came up and sniffed at my leg before barking.

I growled and my ears leaned back against my head as my tail went straight. The dog whimpered and stopped barking. I knelt down and pet his head and smirked, his tail started wagging and his tongue stuck out.

"Well, I suppose we should introduce ourselves." the lady said. "I am Kurenai Yuuhi. This is," she gestured to the boy with sunglasses, "Shino Aburame," she gestured to the girl who blushed and looked down as she pushed her fingers together, "Is Hinata Hyuuga, and the one who ran up is Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru."

I nodded to each introduction and then Asuma-sensei began to speak. "Nice to meet all of you, I am Asuma Sarutobi. This is Shikamaru Nara," he nodded to a yawning Shikamaru. "Choji Akimichi," he nodded to Choji who waved with a chip in his hand. "Ino Yamanaka."

"Hey!" Ino smiled and waved.

"And Izumi,"

"Noi!" I interjected.

"Bara." Asuma-sensei ignored me.

"B…Bara… as in the Bara clan?" Hinata asked. I looked at her and nodded.

"One of the last three." I confirmed as my tail swished back and forth. One of my ears twitched and I smirked. "And you're a Hyuga, one of the noble families. A pleasure to meet you."

"Ah…um" she blushed. "Pleasure to meet you as well…" she whispered.

"Hmph…so the nobles are conversation." Ino snooted, I just glared at her.

"We're just talking about each others families is all. I never met a Hyuuga, and I'm sure she has never met a Bara. Sheesh Ino I was planning on talking to Shino and Kiba as well as Akamaru too, so quit bitching!"

BAM! Asuma-sensei hit me either for being mean to Ino or swearing I'm not sure.

"Um… can we start walking…" Kiba began looking between me and Ino. Ino and I can get along okay, but we also argue a lot. We fight about silly stuff and such but when it comes to fighting we usually have each others backs.

"Fine!" Ino huffed and began walking next to Shino as we began to walk. Asuma-sensei and Kuronai-sensei walked along side each other as Shikimaru and Choji did and Kiba and Akamaru did.

"So why'd you name him Akamaru?" I asked Kiba. He turned to me and grinned.

"'Cuz he turns red sometimes. What about you? Why are you named Izumi Noi?"

I shrugged. "Izumi means fountain or spring, and Noi means little. I was named Noi because compared to my sisters and brother I was a smaller animal. Izumi because instead of crying, Mai says I bubbled up with laughter like a fountain or spring."

"Wow…really?" Hinata asked timidly. I looked over and nodded.

"Well that's what my sister says anyways." She nodded and smiled. Finally we were just walking with our own conversations. I looked at Hinata and whispered to her.

"so which one do you like?" She blushed and turned to me quickly.

"W-What do you mean?" She whispered a bit loudly so that it almost seemed as if she was whisper yelling.

"Well…you're the only girl on the team, so I was wondering if you liked one of them." I nodded toward Kiba and Shino.

"Ah! N-no I don't like anyone…on my team." she murmured the last part so quietly that without my raccoon hearing I wouldn't have heard her.

"…my team?" I asked. She shook her head furiously. Hmm… who could it be… Who is that one Ino's always going on about? Satka? Suski? Gay Sauce. Sasuke! "…Please don't tell me it's Sasuke?" I begged. Really if she likes that kid then I'm going to loose some respect for her.

"Oh No!" She giggled and shook her head. I laughed.

"Good! I mean really? Who would like a guy named Gay Sauce! Really it would be a horrible name to tell people who your boyfriend is… unless you were a boy saying he was your boyfriend."

"SHUT UP NOI!" Ino yelled from ahead of us.

"HIS NAME IS GAY SAUCE!"

"IT'S SASUKE!"

"THAT'S WHAT I SAID! GAY SAUCE!"

"URGH!" She yelled and started to stomp.

"Quiet both of you, your supposed to be quiet!" Asuma snapped.

"sorry." we both said and stopped.

I turned back to Hinata who was smiling. "So who is it?" I asked.

"umm….hmmm…. Umm…." Hinata was bright red and struggling to speak. "Naru-" I couldn't hear all of it, even with my sensitive hearing.

"Naru what?'

"to…"

"Naruto…. Oh hey! My sister is his teacher. She says he's a good kid haha." She blushed and nodded.

"He really is. He's so determined too. He say's he's going to be the next Hokage." Hinata was looking at her hands and was smiling gently, most likely thinking of Narutho.

"You believe him?"

Hinata jumped at looked at me with wide eyes. "Y-yes of course I do! He has such determination that he has to become Hokage some day." I nodded and smiled at her words.

"Well good luck to him then."

"Tomorrow we will get the money and start on our way home, so enjoy the hotel now, and remember not all missions are like this one; as a matter of fact most are not."

"Yes!" Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, and I said at once and began separating to go to our different rooms. Ino and I would be rooming with Kurenai and Hinata as Asuma, Choji, and Shikamaru would be rooming with Kiba and Shino.

"Hmm… I wish missions would be like this, it's really relaxing.." Ino murmured as she set up her spot in the room. I rolled out my bed and patted down my pillow.

"Yeah, but you heard Asuma-sensei most are not like this one. We got this one because we got lucky." Ino nodded and then the door slid open. We looked at Kurenai and Hinata walk in. I nodded to them and patted the spot next to me. "You can sleep next to me if you want Hinata. Or you Kurenai-sensei."

"Thank you Izumi." Kurenai smiled. "But I think I'll sleep over here."

"I-I'll sleep next to you Izumi.. If that's okay…"

"Okay."

'Friendship is one of the greatest gifts one can find. You may gain friends, but one day you will gain your best friend.' Mai's voice rang through my ears. Hmm… best friends…

"AH! That food was good!" I yawned as I sunk even lower into the bath with my towel wrapped around me. I rubbed my hands together under the water, feeling refreshed by the feeling of skin on skin rather than leather on skin. The new gloves given to me by Mai-nee… I wonder what they do.

~Flashback~

I yawned as I woke up and stared at my alarm clock as I hit the off button on the alarm. I pushed my feet off of the bed and pulled my village symbol on and started to pull my big t-shirt off so I could get dressed. Thankfully I took a shower last night. I reached for my brush so I could brush my hair when I saw a wrapped box on my dresser.

'Noi' was written on the card on top of it. I reached over and opened the card.

'Dear Izumi Noi,

Mother and Father gave both Jemin and I gifts on our first out of village mission. When you were born Mom and Dad took both Jemin and I to find your first gift. I wont tell you how to use them, just know that to be careful when using them…they can be a bit…sharp. Either way good luck, and remember my advice. I love you little sister. Please be careful.

Love,

Mai Leigh Bara'

I opened the box lid to see two fingerless black leather gloves on it. I gently picked them up and placed them on my hands before clenching and unclenching my fists. Near my knuckles and by the side of arms felt a bit heavy I shrugged it off and continued getting ready for the day and my mission.

~End Flashback~

"So Hinata do you have any siblings?"

"Mmm yes…." Hinata looked sad and tehn looked down. "My younger sister… Hanabi."

I looked at her concerned. Why is she sad. "Why are you sad…"

Hinata shook her head. "I'm not sad. Hanabi is going to be a great leader of the clan."

"Your younger sister is going to take over the clan? Why?"

"Because I am a disappointment." Hinata murmured. I looked at her shocked and remembered how my old teacher would tell us that some parents and families were to hard on some new ninjas.

"I highly doubt that, and if he feels that way then your just going to have to prove him wrong won't you?" I said as I continued to walk. Hinata stared at me with wide eyes and blushed.

"Y-y- Do you really think I can?" she stuttered. I smirked and nodded.

"Of course, if you have enough determination you can do whatever you want… at least that's what I hear. Now come on, we're heading back home tomorrow and I want to spend my night in the hotel, after all we'll have to sleep on the ground again tomorrow." I growled as I thought of our two nights on the forest floor. Hinata giggled and jogged at bit to walk next to me. At the turn of the hallway I saw a spiky deep red color hair sticking out as if someone was leaning against the wall, then it was gone, so I figured someone was leaving.

'I wish I had hair like that!' I thought as I looked in the mirror at my black hair and my soft black and white ears. 'Mine is so…plain… the only difference is my ears!'

"Asuma-sensei….. If you want me to leave I'll just go but.."

"Get. Him. Off. Me." he growled as Kiba hugged him even more. I stifled my laugh as Kiba rubbed his face into Asumas chest. I walked into the boys room to wake them up so we could start leaving when I saw Kiba hold Asuma-sensei in a death latch. Asuma was wide awake along with the other boys and staring at Kiba with astonished eyes.

I giggled before walking over to Kiba. "WAKE UP!" I yelled and Kiba jumped up high in the air. The others gripped their ears and squeezed their eyes closed with my yell.

"Wha- what… What are you doing in here?"

"Well it's time to go get the money and so I came to wake you up. Have a good rest Kiba?" I smirked.

"Shut up Noi!" he growled and I just laughed more before leaving the room.

"Get ready! We're leaving soon!" I called behind me.

Finally we left and started towards the leader of the fellow village and received the money. The mans name was Ishiruko Namaki, he was a port bellied man who was in the last stage of balding. He had a black mustache and his eyes were black. He wore nice clothes and was surrounded by many richly things. We bowed and left on our way after telling of our gratitude for the money for the village and how we'll be sure to get the money to the main village safely. We put the money in a storage scroll and were on our way.

As we were walking Shino Choji turned to look at me. "By the way Noi," he ate a chip. "why is it you were never in our class in the academy?" The other kids around me looked at me curious; even the teachers looked interested in what we were talking about.

"I was traveling throughout the villages ever since… well ever since my clan was destroyed." All eyes were on me now, the teachers only looked at me for a moment through their peripheral vision and then looked straight ahead.

"How old were you then?" Shino asked. I put a hand to my chin while I thought about it.

"One I think. My sister was a year older than I was, and my eldest sister says we left eleven years ago so and I'm twelve so.."

"So…young…" Hinata whispered. "How did you learn how to be a ninja."

"Well we were taken in by my eldest sisters teacher with his other student gone and the other student going to be trained by another he was planning on traveling through villages and lands so he agreed to take me and my sisters with him. That's where we learned how to walk, talk, and all the other human things. We had books to learn from and then when we were old enough Mai-nee and Ojichan taught us how to be ninjas, he was also still teaching Mai-nee. We also went to schools when we stayed in a village longer than a week." I laughed at the memories of destroying classrooms and getting yelled at by the teachers.

"How did you take the exams to get here?" Shikamaru asked.

"Well Mai-nee actually went back to the Village of the Leaf to take her exams while me and my other sister stayed with Ojichan and when we were taking tests Ojichan would send for a teacher who didn't have a class to teach to give us the exam."

"Why aren't you with your teacher anymore?" Kiba asked and Akamaru barked. I shook my head.

"One day we woke up to see his belongings out of our makeshift house and a note saying that he wanted to travel alone now and that we knew all we needed to know. Mai-nee then decided that it was time for us to have our own teams and it was time for her to have regular duties from the Hokage, no more traveling and having temporary homes, so she sent word to the Hokage and he set up everything we would need when we returned."

"Wow, how many villages have you been too? And why did you have to keep traveling?" Ino asked and I laughed.

"I lost count and names to the villages, but I can remember if I've been to the place before… as to why we had to keep traveling….well the leaders of the places didn't like it when their wallets mysteriously disappeared or when things would blow up… and the incidents always led up to us so we got ran out a lot… that and we caused a lot of problems."

"Problems?"

"Oh you know destroying buildings, stealing wallets, painting on the walls, stalking people… the likes…" They all gaped at me. "What?" I looked left and right. Suddenly a breeze went past us, making the long grass dance a bit.

'Impure… Bad… Steal… Danger… Run!' I shook my head and listened more intensly. This has been happening for a while, sometimes when it is windy I can hear things. My ear twitched as I heard someone take a step within range and my nose picked up a foul scent.

"We've got company." I whispered as I reached into my pouch and grabbed a kunai. Everyone around us got alert and started reaching for their weapons.

"Hinata now." Kurenai said and Hinata issued her bakugan. The muscles near her eyes got bigger and her eyes got more alert.

"ah…" Hinata cried.

"What?" Shikamaru asked.

"There's at least 20 men coming this way and fast!"

"Shit!" BAM! "Sensei I think I can get away with saying that in this sort of situation!" I cried.

"No… you can't." he scuffed out and took a drag from his smoke.

"Well now… what do we have here?" we all turned to see a man with wrappings around his arms and a sleeveless jacket walk up. He had black hair that was pulled into a ponytail and grey eyes..er eye… he only had one eye the other was sewn shut…ew… On his side was a sword that was tied to his belt. Behind him more men were there with a few women.

"I could say the same for you." Asuma-sensei began as he let his cigarette fall to the ground and stepped on it to put it out.

"We're here to take the money that you have just received." The man said, as I stared closely at him, I couldn't help but think that I have seen him before.

"Well then, I'm sorry but… I can't allow that." The guy than ran at Asuma sensei and brought his sword down and Asuma sensei blocked him with his chakra blades. I stared in amazement before my ears picked up the sharp 'wshh' of when metal is flying through the air. I kneeled down as a blade went through the air right where my head once was. I kicked my leg out and kicked one of the guys and sent him flying. Around me others were fighting. Shikamaru was using his family line and Choji was helping him. Ino and Hinata were fighting back to back while Shino was fighting fairly well near Kurenai and Kiba and Akamaru were attacking which ever way they could.

I grabbed some shuriken out of my pouch hidden under my half skirt and threw them at the a guy in front of me, it hit one in the stomach and he fell to the ground clutching his wound. Asuma was now surrounded and he the man swiped his sword making the scroll drop from the cut in Asumas vest.

"THE SCROLL!" I yelled and ran at the man grabbing it before he could.

"Good catch Izu!" Asuma smirked as he threw a fist out with his blade shinning.

I held the scroll tight to my body with my forearms and the man attempted to cut me but I was to fast, using my hands I was able to use the body replacement technique and I then was in the tree above the group. I quickly put the scroll in my pouch hidden under my side skirt and drew out kunai and shuriken and some paper bombs. I wrapped my paper bombs on the kunai and infused them to explode within seconds and then I threw them towards groups that were surrounding Shikamaru and Choji; Hinata, Kurenai, and Shino; Asuma; Ino, Kiba, and Akamaru. The exploded sending some people to fall to the ground wounded. The leader man grabbed my leg while I held a shuriken in my hands and pulled me down.

'If an enemy is anyway in range, go for the neck…' Asumas voice rang through my head. I pulled my shuriken up but froze, I couldn't do it. This man could have a family. He could have someone waiting for him, he could have some one that loved him and who was I to take his life.

"IZUMI! NOI!" voices rang out as the man hit me in the back of the head and I fell into darkness.

"Ugh..my head…" I grunted as I blinked my eyes. My entire body was sore, my head hurt, my legs hurt and my arms hurt. I tried to flex them but something was binding them. I blinked some more and squinted. Yep… I was tied to a tree…in front of a camp. That and my weapons were now off of me.

"Ah your awake." I looked up to see the one who kidnapped me walk towards me. Other people were sitting around fires and eating.

"Ya, now where the fuck am I?" I growled and moved against my bonds trying to loosen them.

"Now now little one, don't even think you can escape. Your in my camp, I am Michi." He didn't have any emotion on his face as he spoke.

'Michi? Where have I heard that name before…and his face looks familiar..but I'm not sure I've ever seen a man with his eyelids sewn shut…wait a minute!' "YOUR THAT GUY WHO TRIED TO STEAL OUR MONEY AND I THREW A KUNAI AT YOUR EYE! IS THAT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT! YOU SONOVABITCH! LET ME OUT YOUR FUCKTARD!"

BAM! I spat blood out after he punched my jaw. I glared at him and he glared back.

"Oi, boss! Since it's going to be a while until we make it to Ishirukos place can we have a little fun with 'er?"

"No we don't need broken goods," He said as he turned his back on me.

"Yeah and I'm not cheap!" I yelled. People looked at me weird and I looked innocent. "Well I'm not, I have a high maintenance." A guy looked at me and winked. 'You really need to learn how to shut up Noi.' I thought as I stared at the guy.

I sighed and looked up at the stars wishing I could be anywhere but here. This sucks, my first out of the village with out Mai and I get captured. Why couldn't I have killed him? I should have been able to! I am a ninja, a Bara, I am Izumi Noi Bara the younger sister of Mai Leigh Bara and the student of Asuma Sarutobi, I should be able to kill a thief.

"ergh!" I hissed as shook my head. 'What happens when Mai hears of this…'

'NO…. HIPPIE!' rang through my ears as the wind past. It sounded like Mai-nee but… I shook my head, there I am hearing things again.

'I wonder how Asuma-sensei is reacting…'

'She….minds ….of…..myself…age…' the wind blew past again and I thought I could hear Asuma-senseis voice. I shook my head again.

'I have to get out of here! I have to prove myself.' I snarled as I glared and looked around. My tail hurt from being shoved against the tree and my ears kept on twitching at these guy's snores. 'Annoying… if only I had a weapon on me.' I thought as I twitched around… 'Oh I have an idea. I'll make a shadow clone and have it untie me… but I cant do any hand formations and… I can't make a shadow clone…only a smoke clone… damn… Okay next idea… okay…think…what did Asuma say in case this was to happen… figure out your resources…lets see…well I have my clothes for one, my good looks, my whitty self, Rimas wallet-which will get me nowhere because she only had a coupon for whip cream in it, these new gloves-that do NOTHING- um… this rope, hmm…my wallet…like hell I'm giving THAT up, my tail and ear- THAT'S IT!' I nearly shouted as I jolted in the ropes. 'I can turn into a raccoon!' I started to calm down and unleash the chakra to transform into a raccoon, my body started to get smaller and I my sense of everything around me got stronger. 'FREEDOM HERE I COME!' I thought as I slipped out of the ropes and gave a raccoonish grin. I then snuck over to where my things were and turned back human so I could put them on. After I turned back to human a tucked my chain with the land of the fire sign under my shirt so it wouldn't make any noise. I was walking around and picking up some more things of mine that has scattered…and some wallets too. 'I need to find the scroll,' I thought while looking around.

I saw two guys who were both shirtless and only in boxers sleeping in sleeping bags beside each other, one was on his stomach and both had their sleeping bags kicked down near their feet. I smirked and moved one guys hand to the others butt. "Sweet dreams," I giggled quietly.

I then saw the scroll, it was by Michi's bunk. Around him were many things that would be considered booby traps. Pots and pans, gold and silver coined piles, piles of junk and much more. I sighed 'I guess I'm going to have to use my gymnastics' I sighed and then started to do flips over the piles of stuff. I did a back flip over a pot and nearly landed on a couple of plates that were laying next to each other I had one leg up in the air and was leaning dangerously close to them. I closed my eyes as my tail went straight and my ears were pressed against my head. I opened them and blinked before bringing my foot down and then stepped over the plates and grabbed to scroll.

"mommy…" Michi whined and pulled a teddy bear closer.

'That is just plain weird,' I stared at him and stiffled my giggles before doing my steps and flips again to get back to the other side of the junk. When I got there safely I grinned and did a small celebratory dance after putting the scroll safely in my pouch.

CRASH! BAM! BOOM! My eyes widened as my tail hit a bunch of pots and pans. People around me jumped up from their beds and stared directly at me. I giggled nervously.

I waved my hands up and down while wiggling my fingers. "This is all just a dream… go back to sleep…."

ZING! My face paled as a kunai went directly by my head.

"Or not! SHIT! AHH!" I screamed as I dodged attackers and ran for the woods. I jumped up into the branches and started to jump from branch to branch while jumping towards what I thought was the leaf village.

"COME HERE YOU BRAT!" yelled Michi as he ran after me. My head was starting to hurt so I bit my lip to distract my pain signals. As I jumped onto another tree branch it came out from under me, Michi had cut it down -who knew he was so fast.

"AH!" I yelped as I fell to the forest floor. I sensed his sword before it was brought down and quickly rolled out of the way.

"GIVE ME THE SCROLL!"

"NO! MY MISSION IS TO GET THE MONEY TO THE VILLAGE I WILL DO IT! SO YOU CAN FUCK OFF!" I yelled as I jumped up and sent a kick towards Michi. I hit him in the gut and he grabbed my leg before throwing me down to the ground. I looked up into his scared face to see the glint of the moon off of his blade as it was being brought down to cut me. I wasn't able to move in time without injury so I put my hands up over my head to try to protect myself the most I could.

CLING! I felt no pain and only head the familiar sound of blade against blade or should I say blades. My ears twitched and I blinked. I slowly brought my head up and stared in wonder at the figure before me.

"A-Asuma-sensei?" I gasped. He turned his head and grinned at me.

"Hey Izumi, finally found you." He turned back around and pushed Michi back. "Now then, who do you think you are to be kidnapping my student?"

"I am Michi Ichinose I am the king of the thieves." he grinned as he turned and attacked Asuma from the side, Asuma blocked and I looked closely at the blade.

"Chakra…" I murmured. I looked down at my gloves and forced my chakra into my hands.

ZING! I blinked as blades appeared. They went over my knuckles and down the side of my arm.

"Now these I can use!" I grinned as I jumped up and fisted my hands together the leather made a crunching sound before it quieted. "Come and get you pathetic wimp!" He glared at me over Asumas head.

"How about I do instead!" yelled a voice above me, I looked up in time to see one of the men who wanted to 'play' with me jump down with a sword. I blocked him with my gloves and threw him at a tree. He jumped back and I tried to perform a body switch jutsu but my blades got stuck together. I gaped down at them and smiled at the oncoming enemy. "hehe" I glared at the blades. "STUPID THINGS!" A man was about to attack me from behind, I was ready to kick him when he stopped moving. "Huh?" I turned around to see Shikamaru smirking.

"SHIKA!" I yelled happy. "Your not sleeping!… for once…." he glared at me and I just smiled before seeing another group of people coming at us. Suddenly Kurenai appeared from a tree…no really she appeared from a tree… and she took care of most of them while the others came. Choji and Ino started working together with their abilities, they were always best at working together. Kiba and Shino were working together and I saw Hinata struggling with one guy.

"Hinata…use Byakugan and…well… you get the idea!" I called as I ran up behind Hinata, she had gone into Byakugan and was dodging the attacks by watching their chakra or energy flow. I ran up behind the man after I had unlocked my blades and jumped up in the air and kicked the man in the head, knocking him unconscious. Hinata smiled and I smirked as we looked around for more enemies we saw all knocked unconscious except Michi; he was dead. Asuma and Kurenai stood above him.

"Hey…sensei… why'd it take you so long?" I asked.

More ninjas came and arrested the thieves and I told them that Michi mentioned Ishirukos name, they said they would interrogate him and another would be put in charge of the small village. As we were walking home I looked at Asuma-sensei.

"Asuma-sensei?"

"What is it Izumi?"

"Do…do people really kidnap younger civilians and ninjas just to sell them? I mean I've heard that they do, but I thought it was just a fairy tale to scare children…"

Asuma looked at me with a saddened look on his face, he took out a cigarette and lit it and then began to smoke. "Izumi we wish it could be just a fairy tale but it is not. People want money in this world, money and power and they will do anything to get it. I'm guessing they wanted to sell you?"

I nodded. "I told them I wasn't cheap, that I was high maintenance." I smirked. Asuma looked down at me and shook his head. "What? Well the guy was getting on my nerves." People on the team just shook their heads. "Hey Ino I'm sure you would have gotten sold on a low price."

"Asuma sensei I'm pretty sure she swore while you were away."

"Hmm your right Shikamaru."

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! "Five just in case" he said after he hit me on the head.

"DAMN YOU INO!"

BAM!

"So the mission was a success?" Sarutobi asked. We nodded yes as I handed over the scroll. "Let go of the scroll Izumi." he ordered.

"But…" I whined.

"Now Izumi," sighed Asuma.

"Fine!" I sighed as I let go. I turned and walked back over to stand in-between Shikamaru and Hinata. The Hokage told us the job went well and that Ishiruko was guilty of hiring the people, we then left after the conformation of a new mayor in his place. As we were leaving we said goodbye to the other team.

"Hey Hinata, we should hang out sometime. When your not on a mission that is." I smirked. She nodded yes and I nodded as well before we left. "BYE KURENAI-SENSEI! BYE KIBA AND AKAMARU! BYE SHINO! BYE HINATA!" Ino and I yelled in almost complete unison. Asuma went left as we started walking right, we waved our goodbyes.

"Hey guys its bbq night at my house wanna come?" Ino asked.

"YEAH! Let's go!" Choji yelled as he actually stopped eating.

"Why not?" Shikamaru sighed as he began walking with Ino and Choji.

"I'll catch up, I have something to do real fast." I said as I turned.

"Okay! Hurry!" Ino called as I ran down the street. I kept running, my tail was swinging side to side. The wind went through my hair making it messy and my ears kept picking up things from people talking. The familiar pound as my shinobi symbol hit my chest repeated with each powerful step I took. "ASUMA-SENSEI!" I called when I saw his back. He turned and watched me as I ran up to him. We were in between apartments and shops no one was around since the shops there closed early. "Can I talk to you?" I looked down. His eyes smiled as he put a hand on my head in between my ears.

"What is it?"

"I- I couldn't kill him sensei…" I looked down. "I know that we are ninjas and that at times we have to kill but… I couldn't do it sensei… I couldn't take his life…" I looked down, waiting for his scolding but instead he just rubbed my head. My eyes widened as I looked up at him.

"Izumi this was your first time being in the situation where as you will have to take a life am I correct?" he asked. His face was kind, his eyes gave a soft look and his face had no irritated wrinkles on it like he had when he was annoyed or irritated.

"Yes, when traveling Mai and Akon-sensei wouldn't let us fight too much and he and Mai did the killing. Rima and I did all the work."

"At this time in your life you are learning how to kill, and one day…you will be able to but only because you are protecting. I did the same as you Izumi, and then missions later I did… It takes time, and that time is to build up your emotional strength. Even now Izumi I don't like to kill, even now I still am pained by having to do it. We all are, we wouldn't be human if we weren't. It will take time Izumi, and when the times comes I will be there for you for when it happens. Now." He took his hand off my head. "How many wallets did you take?" I laughed and he started to laugh as well. I guess me and Asuma-sensei aren't to different after all.

"WHAT THE HELL?" yelled an angry voice… hmm… that voice sounds like Mai. SHIT MAI! I jolted awake and stared at my angered sister. Oh dear…. And Rima was still asleep.

**GirlX901: Wow Rimas an idiot!**

**I 3 BOB!: hahahahahahahahaahhahahahhaha I liked this chapter!**

**Trainheart: The hokage sounds like a jackass, not even paying for lunch**

**GirlX901 and I 3 BOB!: *Nods in agreement***

**GirlX901: PLEASE REVIEW!**


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